Get Back on Track: Create Healthy Habits
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Healthy habits are the cornerstone to a healthy life. They help you to create a routine in your life that allows you to find a balance between your responsibilities and reaching whatever goals you have. But if you have lost your way and need to get back on track, it is about finding that inspiration again.
Create the Habit Without the Rules
When you lose your inspiration for keeping up with healthy habits, it’s a lot harder to pick them up again if you start off with a long list of rules. You need to put all those rules and restrictions aside, and just focus on the habits themselves.
For example, if you want to start being more active again for your physical health, don’t set a time limit or a goal of walking a specific distance every day. Just get out there and walk for however long feels good in that moment.
Habit Stacking
Habit stacking is a great way to add to current habits you have and have a type of trigger for the new one you are trying to implement. To start habit stacking, you have two categories to consider: the habits you have right now that you want to keep, and habits you want to implement. You are then going to combine new habits with old habits, but only if they make sense during that routine.
Take your bedtime routine for example. You might currently brush your teeth and wash your face before bed, and you know you want to start a new self-care routine. This is the perfect time to add an extra step to that nighttime routine for a little self-care.
Fit New Habits Into New Routines
To make something a habit, it needs to fit into your routine. Sometimes, new habits require a slightly new daily routine to make it fit and give you the right feedback loop. If you tend to only have a short amount of time in the morning to get ready and get out the door, then adding in a workout is probably not going to work. Instead of fitting into your current routine, adjust it or create a brand new one.
Ditch the Reward System
The reward system really only works for short-term goals, so if you are building lifelong healthy habits, the rewards aren’t going to work. Now is a good time to let those go and focus on other ways of praising yourself for keeping up with these habits.
This article provides general information and discussion about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this article, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.
14 Comments
Rachel Lavern
I agree. It is better if the rewards are not external to the goal. But there are ways we can benefit from extrinsic and intrinsic motivation.
Roy A Ackerman, PhD EA
I work hard to keep my healthy habit on tap all the time, It’s much easier doing that than trying to start again.
Marc Cohen
I love these ideas! Habit stacking sounds like a great way to add new small habits to our days easily. I will try some of these ideas out for myself. Wishing you well!
linda
love those ideas.Thanks for sharing with us.it is very helpful
Ivan M. Jose
I once wrote that in creating good habits, we should have a reward system in place. Now that you’ve pointed out that it doesn’t really work for long-term goals, I just realized that the reward itself should be the positive habits that we gain.
Dominique
Very true! I like that!
Milton Coyne
I think i badly meed this one.. Recently i find myself losing motivation on doing things i used to enjoy. Habit stacking is seemingly a clever approach… Adding something new on your normal routine will surely spice up eveything.. Thank you for sharing
Bryan Carey
Healthy habits can take some effort to develop, but they are worth it. They become second nature and, once you develop them, you often can;’t imagine things any other way.
Rosey
The tip to just walk resonates. If I set a bunch of rules and break even one I will just quit all together. Crazy but true.
Dominique
Most people do the same thing. Usually with the intention to start again but often that doesn’t happen, right?
Fransic verso
I think rewards for long-term goals can be when you finished a certain amount of work when working toward achieving it!
Fransic – https://www.querianson.com/
emman damian
Great tips! I agree, Fit New Habits Into New Routines! This works a lot for me.
Blair Villanueva
Getting back on a healthy track is very important. It will help to prolong our lifespan by 10 to 15yrs!
And I still need those rewards coz it is a good motivation 🙂
Ntensibe Edgar
“Create the habit without the rules”…hhhmmmm, this is quite something to think about! Lots of great pointers shared in your article. Thanks for sharing.