Happy New Year!

Hope you are getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas season. Many people feel a little off after the holidays and it’s no wonder. Our normal schedules are often thrown by the wayside. Many people eat more and exercise less. Late nights with family and friends may cause our sleep patterns to get out of sync, as well. Many people get out of their regular diet routines and often consume more sugar, flour and starchy foods during the holiday season. That is one reason why many people are anxious to set goals for the New Year that include eating better and exercising more. The New Year is a great time to make changes that involve your health, so why not start the New Year with some new habits?

What’s A Habit?

So what is a habit anyway? According to Wikipedia, “A habit is a routine behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.”¹ 

You know— like brushing your teeth or making your bed. We all have various habits that we do on a daily basis. If you want to live a healthy life-style, the key is to create more healthy habits.

Develop New Patterns

The New Year gives us the opportunity to start off with a clean slate. Eating healthy and living a healthy life-style is all about developing new patterns and habits. Many people start out strong by choosing healthier food options and exercising more, but get discouraged when they don’t see immediate results. Other people over do it with exercise and may skip several days because they are sore, making it hard to continue.

Consistency Leads To Success

It’s better to start out slow and come up with a manageable plan. This way you are more likely to stick with it and create a habit. Success is all about consistency. That’s why you should make your new habits relatively easy, so you don’t miss doing them. Once you have them set in place, you can build from there.

For example, if your goal is to walk everyday, start with walking 1 mile versus 5 miles. Having a manageable distance will help you keep a positive mind-set. Remember—It’s best to start small and never miss a day. You can increase your distance, when you’ve mastered what you started.

No matter what your goal, you need to really commit to it and make it non-negotiable. Make sure you make time for the activity in your day. To make it easier and stay on track with your goals, you may want to consider blocking off a time on your calendar. Studies show it takes 30 days to establish a new habit, so being consistent matters.

Commitment Matters

Commitment matters too. If you want to do more home cooking, start with a plan. Decide what you want to make and then look for healthy recipes. Make a grocery list of ingredients you need and then head to the store. That way you will have everything on hand and have no excuses to eat out instead. Make sure you stock up on plenty of healthy snacks, as well to help keep you on track and sustain you. Look for fresh fruits, sweet vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Start Your Day With Healthy Habits

Many people feel rushed in the morning and don’t take time for themselves. A healthier way however, is give yourself time to relax, plan and get your body and mind energized for the day. Following are some healthy habits to start your day.

• Forget The Snooze—Many people hit the snooze button when their alarm goes off. Studies show however, that it is much better for you to just get up and get your day going. Choose a time to get up and just do it. You can also pretend the snooze button is broken.
• No Phone—Don’t start your day looking at your phone. It’s easy to pulled into social media, emails, etc. Try turning off your notifications. You can also put your phone in another room and avoid looking at it until, you’ve taken some time for yourself. (e.g. praying, meditating, affirmations, exercise, breakfast, etc.)
• Stretching—Get your body going for the day by doing some stretches. Stretching increases blood flow, gives you more flexibility and helps get your body energized.
• Reading—Take 10 minutes or so to read something positive or inspiring. Reading something inspirational will help set the tone for your day.
• Eat Breakfast—Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and gives you energy for the day ahead. Make sure you give yourself enough time to make a healthy breakfast or at least grab something healthy to take with you on your commute. You will feel better, think better and function better.

Thanks for reading!

Barb

Source:

¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habit