
Develop a New Healthy Habit with These Tips
New Year’s Resolutions span the health industry from weight loss to clear skin to more exercise. However, a month in, most people lose the fervor to continue on their resolutions. They find ways to trick themselves into giving up and continuing the status quo. You can change all of that and create new healthy habits with a few tips. Small changes can drastically change your life for the positive.
Simple Changes
Go with simple changes for the start. For example, instead of quitting smoking cold turkey, consider cutting out one cigarette a day for a week. Then cut back on one more until you stop. Or visit an ecig store for additional options. By doing one simple change every day, you can wean your body off of a bad habit easier than simply quitting altogether. For something like smoking, the slow approach can lessen common withdrawal symptoms.
Simple changes work effectively for incorporating a new habit into your lifestyle. If you want to eat healthier, cut out one thing a week that is bad for you. For example, replace soda with flavored sparkling water. Or, exchange one bad thing for something good. Instead of chips, have cut veggies handy when that desire for a crunchy snack strikes.
Accountability Buddy
Few things help you stick with a habit or lifestyle change quite like an accountability buddy. This can be your spouse, best friend, sibling, coworker or someone on a similar journey. By having someone to report to, you are more likely to choose the new habit over the old.
Forcing yourself to get up for that morning run is difficult and you can easily hit the snooze button. It is much harder to justify sleeping in when someone is waiting for you. Look for someone you trust to hold you accountable to help you reach your goals.
Everyday Choice
Choose every day to work on the new habit. For example, get enough veggie with green powder before the day starts. Skipping one day may not be a big deal, but it can set up a pattern of missing that is harder to break. When you stick with something consistently, you are more likely to make it a routine.
Studies show that you can form a bad habit in two days. The prevailing wisdom is that it takes 21 days to form a new habit, but it actually may take longer for your brain to rewire itself. Each person is different, but don’t give yourself permission to fail your goals. Make the choice to stick with it every day and soon that new habit will become automatic.