Give it 30 days: Making or breaking habits
It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to give up smoking or having a crack at introducing a new exercise regime, popular wisdom says it takes 30 days to make or break a habit.
We’re sharing some great ideas for helping you get through that crucial first month to achieve your health and fitness goals.
Promise to dedicate a little time every day
A month is a good amount of time to give a habit the opportunity to stick, but only if you give it the opportunity to become a routine. To form a new habit, you really have to be strict with yourself during those first 30 days.
Start small and aim high
That said, if you try and launch into a brand new routine on the first day, you’re more likely to burn out. For habits that last, you want to introduce them a little bit at the time, making it much easier for you to adapt to the change.
Plan perfect rewards
To really commit to new habits, you need to find a way to make them seem worth your while. Lots of bad habits feel as though they have positive rewards so you need to find good experiences to associate with better habits, for example, a smoothie after a trip to the gym.
Remove temptation
If possible, remove temptation from your home. If you’re giving up smoking, throw out all of your cigarettes. If you’re planning to exercise more, cancel your TV subscription. By making it harder to cheat, you’ll be doing yourself a big favour when you’re willpower begins to waver.
Set a reminder for the halfway point
When you’re halfway through your 30 days, you may find you’ve forgotten what made you so keen to make the change in the first place. Keep your energy going by setting reminders, on your phone or in your calendar, to make time for your new habit every single day for the duration.
Find the right substitute
Rather than snacking on unhealthy food, sneaking a cigarette or drinking sugary drinks, get into the habit of having a cold glass of water. Chill a pitcher in your fridge and add cucumber, lemon or fresh berries for a delicate flavouring that will make it even more tempting.
Know exactly why you’re doing it
Motivate yourself to make a change and stick to it by spending some time educating yourself about the benefits of the switch. If you know exactly what forming this new, healthier habit could do for you, it’ll be much easier to follow through.
Do you have a surefire habit-forming tip?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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