Many health fads and cleanses are meant to produce rapid results, but the key to lasting change is sustainable behavior. The best way to do that is by turning healthy behaviors into habits.
Start by understanding why you want to adopt a new habit. Getting in touch with the underlying motivation, such as wanting to feel better, can help you stay on track.
1. Make it a priority
The best way to make wellness a priority is by focusing on what you want for yourself. Everyone has different areas of their life that need attention, but you have to start somewhere. You may find it easier to focus on sleep, exercise or diet first before you move onto other areas of your life that need work.
Once you know what areas need a little more attention, it’s time to create the habits that will help you make those changes stick. To do this, it’s important to think about the triggers that will remind you to take action. It’s also helpful to set up a schedule for your new habits to help them become part of your daily routine.
For example, if you’re trying to get into the habit of working out every day, it helps to set a specific time that works for your schedule. This can act as your trigger so you don’t forget to go to the gym. Similarly, if you’re trying to be more mindful, you can set your phone alarm at the beginning of the week to serve as your cue.
You should also write down your goals in a journal to keep yourself accountable. This can be done with prompts or an app (click here for a list of journalling apps). Having an accountability partner is another great way to stay motivated and on track with your goals. This can be someone to check in with daily or a person who will encourage you when your motivation wanes.
Finally, make sure to celebrate the small victories in your journey to a better you. For instance, if you miss one workout but still managed to squeeze in a short walk, that’s a victory!
2. Make it fun
The goal of forming new habits is to make them feel like an extension of who you are. Otherwise, it’s likely they’ll feel like a lot of damn work and be difficult to stick with. If you can find a way to incorporate wellness into your daily routine that feels fun and enjoyable, it will feel less like work and more like a natural part of life.
For example, if you want to get into running, instead of attempting to run a marathon right away, start with a 10 minute walk around the block. Or, if you want to be more mindful in the morning, try adding a quick meditation while brushing your teeth or sipping your coffee. This technique is called “habit stacking” and is proven to increase the likelihood that new behaviors will stick. This tip, as seen on Better Tools, can help build your habits in the long-term.
Another effective strategy for boosting the success of new healthy habits is to create a community of like-minded people who are also trying to achieve their goals. This will help to provide encouragement and accountability, which is a major factor in achieving long-term health and fitness results. This can be as simple as starting a virtual wellness group on social media or as involved as bringing together in-person and remote teams for team building experiences that focus on wellness.
You can also encourage people to take on new wellness activities by setting rewards and challenges for them. For instance, you could start a virtual sports league and award points to the winning team members at the end of each month, or run a 30-day wellness challenge that involves tracking their steps and eating vegetables each day. You could even offer to pay for training fees for colleagues who are planning on taking on more intensive health and fitness challenges like running a race.
3. Set reminders
Many of the best wellness habits involve tracking and reminders. Whether it’s an alarm on your phone to stop checking social media or to remind you to take an afternoon break for movement, these small reminders can add up to big changes over time.
Use whatever tools you have—calendars, apps, sticky notes—to help you establish healthy habits and stick with them. It’s also helpful to plan ahead as much as possible. For example, if you want to make sure you walk the dog before work every morning then hang your leash by the front door and set an alert for the day before so you don’t forget.
If you find yourself engrossed in your work or back-to-back meetings and skip meals, set an alarm on your phone to remind you to eat or place a protein bar at your desk for easy snacking. And if you want to get up and move from your chair at least once an hour then set reminders to do so throughout the day or download the free app FitOn, which can set workout reminders for any length of time you choose!
Hydration is another important habit. SkinnyMint’s founder, dermatologist Marnie Nussbaum, MD, recommends that people drink about half of their body weight in ounces each day to help maintain healthy skin and organ function. Consider setting a daily hydration goal or keeping a cute water bottle at your desk to act as a visual reminder.
4. Schedule it
In the beginning, it’s important to focus on one new wellness behavior. Trying to build too many habits at once can be overwhelming and may not stick. For example, if you want to start exercising more, don’t try to train for a marathon right away. Instead, aim for something more manageable and sustainable, like a 10 minute walk in the morning before work.
It’s also helpful to enlist support from others. Assemble a wellness squad that will encourage you and hold you accountable. You can do this by texting check-ins, setting up weekly group accountability sessions or posting public shout-outs on social media. Just make sure the person you select is someone who isn’t likely to let you down or sabotage your progress.
Another way to help ensure your new wellness habit sticks is by removing obstacles. For example, if you’re trying to cut back on soda, you could make the switch by only drinking your favorite drink when you are at the gym. Or, if you struggle to find the motivation to exercise, you could try listening to your favorite audiobook while on the treadmill or elliptical. This is called temptation bundling.
Creating healthy habits doesn’t have to be boring or time-consuming, especially when you’re working in a company that cares about your wellbeing. In addition to offering employees wellness initiatives like group yoga and fitness competitions, companies can also provide virtual learning tools, like financial literacy workshops and digital financial apps and resources.
Getting to know your employees better by providing them with wellness activities is a great way to show you care about their overall health and well-being. Learn more about how to create a healthy workplace culture here.
5. Celebrate
Healthy habits aren’t just for new years – they are a daily commitment to better health and wellness. They can help reduce stress, increase energy levels and improve overall well-being. But building these healthy habits takes time and dedication. It’s also easy to get discouraged when you fail to meet your goals or fall back into old habits.
One of the best ways to keep your motivation high is to celebrate your progress. Set mini-goals under your larger goal, such as “exercise twice a week for a month,” and reward yourself when you meet them. Make sure the rewards are something that furthers your health journey, such as a nice cup of coffee or finally buying those running shoes you’ve been eyeing. Avoid rewarding yourself with unhealthy treats, which can sabotage your efforts.
It’s important to remember that a healthy lifestyle should feel fun, enjoyable and not like a big chore. If a habit feels too much work, it will probably not stick, especially in the long-term.
Another way to make new healthy habits easier is by linking them with existing ones you enjoy. For example, if you love having a warm cup of tea before bed, start by adding a short journaling practice to this time. This will help your brain recognize the two activities as linked, and eventually it will be hard to separate them.
Finally, don’t try to juggle too many new habits at once. According to Psychology Today, it can take up to 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic, so be patient and only add one healthy habit at a time. Once you’ve made that new habit a part of your routine, you can add another, and so on.
