People often ask what it means to be healthy or to ´get fitter´, and we believe 95% of people already know the answer: sleep, good nutrition, manage stress, build community, a balance of aerobic and strength training etc - so the question is, not what, but how do we ingrain these behaviours consistently into our lives and then keep them going.
Habits are deeply wired behaviours that we perform almost automatically and our decisions and thinking associated with them are deep rooted, hard to identify and very hard to change. And we need them - to save time because of the amount of decisions daily we have to make. We´ve shared three tips below to help make that healthy habit stick!
CUE:
Knowing your cues i.e. the environment or context which helps form the habit is important. I.e. putting your run shoes by the door, having the foam roller in the living room, or replacing the biscuit tin with fruit. Don't focus on stopping a habit, focus on replacing it. We are action oriented, so if you suppress a thought as we know - it can make you want it more!!
A REASON TO CHANGE:
Whether a habit sticks or not can depend on how good your reason is to make the change. It's often said, ‘change happens when the pain of staying the same outweighs that of the pain of making a change’. Having good negotiation with all affected in the process of the goal can help you set & complete the goal. This may include close friends, your partner or work colleagues. The success of the goal can be thought of in how well you´ve managed other commitments around it which are usually more important than the goal itself!
POSE THE QUESTION
Posing a question that encourages a yes or no answer can also help: ´are you going to go to the gym for example´? This serves as a reminder for your choices and it brings to light your intention, and if indeed it's aligned with who you want to be. Saying no gives you discomfort, saying yes can act as positive affirmation which can lead to commitment!
So, put those running shoes by the door, tell the ones closest your intentions and ask yourself, will you feel better for going for a run?
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