With the year coming to an end soon, it's a great time to check in with your current habits, and whether they are helping or hindering progress towards your goals. Our daily habits form our daily routines, which make up the components of our day. As humans, we thrive on routine, and can easily fall into habits that aren’t optimal for our physical or mental wellness. What would your day be like if you had a healthy meal for lunch at the office? How would you feel if you were a little more active throughout the day? What would your mental state be like if you could gain control over negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones? Everything that you wish you could do, you CAN do. You just need to form habits that make those goals possible! Living the best version of your life and becoming the best version of yourself is not as difficult as you might think. While habits are sometimes tough to break, they’re certainly not impossible.
Breaking habits starts with identifying your triggers. Once you know what prompts you to begin the “habit loop,” the easier it will be to bring awareness to these behaviors and stop them from happening. Also, acknowledge what reward you get after performing the habit. When you’re aware of your triggers and rewards, you can break out of auto-mode and proactively change your routines to develop newer, healthier ones. To build new habits, create prompts for yourself. For example, if you’re trying to go running more, put your running shoes by your front door, in plain sight. If you’re trying to go to bed earlier, set a reminder on your phone to go to sleep by 11:00. Notes, photographs, and other visuals are also helpful - get creative, and find what works for you. If you want to succeed in creating a new habit, build in a reward that will make you want to continue performing the habit. If you’re trying to quit smoking or drinking, put the money you save in a jar labeled for a vacation, a new outfit, or something else that’s important to you. If you’re trying to get into the habit of being more active, ask friends to help hold you accountable by telling them what you plan to do so they can ask you about how it's going. Or treat yourself to a new workout outfit, water bottle, or pair of shoes when you accomplish a fitness goal. If you need support on this journey, I'm more than happy to help. Schedule a free consultation with me now to get started.