Forming Habits that Create a Healthier Lifestyle
…habits are important, because we cannot always rely on being able to motivate ourselves in the day-to-day situations life may bring. When that motivation fades away, discipline will be what remains because you're forming habits towards creating routines.
What’s a habit?
A habit is a repeated action, one that has become almost automatic or second nature. However, a habit is not to be confused with a routine. Habits typically involve little to no conscious thought, while routines typically require some intention and discipline.
Additionally, a habit is a practice you repeat so regularly that it can be hard to change. Most times, you may not even realize the habits you've created (good or bad). Examples in this case could be biting your nails when you’re worried, grabbing a sweet treat every time you visit the grocery store, cheating yourself of enough sleep nightly, or skipping your warmup/cool down during your workouts. See? It could be a variety of activities we do OR possibly do not do.
Let’s explore a few different types of habits and how to make, or break, them…
Here, I’ll just be focusing on how to form 4 different types of positive habits: Mental, Physical, Social and Productivity. These habits are important, because we cannot always rely on being able to motivate ourselves in the day-to-day situations life may bring. When that motivation fades away, discipline will be what remains because you're forming habits towards creating routines.
Mental Habits:
Mental habits involve our thought-processes and cognitive behaviors.
'Cognitive' is a term used in psychology to describe anything related to thinking, learning, and understanding…. simply put: how our brains work.
These habits (when positive) can lead to a less stressful mindset, more productivity, and even an increased state of happiness or optimism in our lives.
Examples of positive mental habits:
Eliminating negative self-talk
Determining your “why” to help create a constant source of personal motivation
Prayer, meditation, devotion, and/or guided breathing exercises
Physical Habits:
Staying consistent with positive physical habits will help improve health and overall lifestyle.
Certain habits may promote a longer life by decreasing the risk for unwanted illness and health concerns. Here are a few examples:
Flossing, in addition to brushing your teeth
Applying and reapplying sunscreen daily
Scheduling and staying on top of your medical appointments and screenings
Completing regular workouts, eating well-balanced meals & snacks, and drinking enough water are three important routines to acquire. Here are a few habits that will help:
Scheduling time into your daily calendar to take a midday walk to encourage (or begin) movement
Packing nourishing snacks for work or school
Carrying a water bottle with you daily that has motivating quotes and ounce measurements listed to help you keep on track with hydration
Social Habits:
This one is sometimes tough for me, but oh-so important. Maintaining and nurturing relationships takes a lot of intentional effort. I have found that I must be selective with whom I spend my time. Remember we want to build habits that are positive, making a wrong choice can be detrimental to our growth and health.
Relationships with significant others, friends, family members, and co-workers require give & take, honesty, constructive criticism (giving & receiving), time spent together, and the ability to listen… and that’s just a few of the requirements.
Once these relationships are established (and done right, with effort), the rewards can be truly immeasurable. We all need others on some level, in some capacity. Make sure to do the work to find your people, then strive to provide them with what they may need from you, as well.
Productivity Habits:
To be truly productive, we must create habits that eventually become routines to aid in reaching the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
This does not only apply to a professional environment, but includes our personal lives, as well. There are some habits that may help you better manage your time and accomplish your goals.
A few of these habits may include:
Waking up an hour earlier each day
Creating written daily, weekly, monthly to-do lists or plans
Eliminating known distractions and staying focused
It is important to remember that habits will oftentimes need to be adjusted - old bad habits will need to be broken.
Sometimes, the best way to break bad habits is to replace them with better, more helpful ones. Be mindful and acknowledge the true reasons you feel it necessary to make the change…. break the habit. Another reason a habit may need to be adjusted is because it has successfully become a routine. Once that happens, you can move on to creating more habits to help you on your quest for a healthier lifestyle. Reach out to those who can help hold you accountable to your goals. Good candidates for this role would be those who engage in the habits and routines you strive to attain for yourself.
Additional resources:
Here is an excellent article that goes into even greater detail about habits, if you’d like a little more information.
Practical Psychology. (2019, February). What is a Habit? (Definition and Types of Habits). Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/what-is-a-habit/
Ways to Incorporate Fitness Into Earth Day!
Earth Day is a day to demonstrate support for the protection of the environment. A set day (if no other) for all of us remember the environment in our busy lives. A day that reminds us to…
Earth Day is an annual day to demonstrate support for the protection of the environment. April 22 is the designated day for all of us remember the environment in our busy lives. A day that reminds us to continue to do the little things that help out our environment.
Here are a few tips on how to incorporate our fitness routines into Earth Day activities and celebrations:
Work in the garden:
Add colorful beauty to your home’s landscape with flowers or grow edible plants of fruits and vegetables for your household to consume
Burn calories and work up a sweat, along with working leg & arm muscles during the planting, pruning, and harvesting phases
Earth Day Tip: Flowers attract honeybees and other important pollinators like butterflies, wasps, birds.
Take a walk or a hike:
Hit the pavement in your neighborhood or check out a new trail in your local community
Get those steps in to contribute to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; not to mention improving mental wellbeing by reducing symptoms of depression
Earth Day Tip: Take the time to pick up litter to help beautify your neighborhood & preserve the beauty of the local trails.
Ride a bike:
Take a recreational ride, a workout ride, or even a ride to work
Increase muscle strength and flexibility, improve joint mobility, and strengthen bones
Earth Tip: Bike riding means less vehicles on the road, which leads to less smog emission & less pollution.
Head to the beach or lake:
Go for a swim, try kayaking or canoeing, or even do your workout on the sand next to the water
The mere sight and sound of water can promote wellness & relaxation, right along with a number of health benefits that come with muscle building and cardiovascular fitness
Earth Day Tip: Take a few minutes to clean up the litter that is usually scattered amongst the beauty of our favorite beaches and lakes.
Workout outdoors:
During the daytime, enjoy the bright sunlight by completing the workout of your choice on the porch, the patio, or the park
During the evening, workout safely by candlelight - yoga or stretching; or, try a moonlit workout in the backyard
Earth Day Tip: Using less electricity saves energy by consuming less power, consequently conserving the earth’s national resources.
