We all want to start building healthy habits but the truth is, change is hard and old habits are even harder to break.
I’ve read articles and heard stories on the best ways to start building healthy habits, but found them very difficult to stick to myself.
It wasn’t until I read Atomic Habits by James Clear, that I realized the key to forming new and healthy habits. The book focuses on starting one tiny habit at a time and building from there. This made achieving my goals so much more attainable.
In the past year, so much had happened. With all the craziness, it seemed to be the perfect time to make a change in my life. I started with ONE new habit. This made all the difference.
Starting slow made it extremely effective and much easier to build more good habits along the way.
It became clear to me that the actions we perform routinely can shape our chances of achieving the goals we set out for ourselves. These habits can also impact our mental and physical wellbeing.
Bad habits for example, are just repeated actions with negative consequences. While they may feel good in the moment, they can end up hurting us.
These habits are usually hard to give up, like eating fast food, having too much screen time, indulging in more sweets than we should (me), etc.
Good habits on the other hand, can take a little time to set in but are rewarding in the long run!
How Can I Create Healthy Habits and Get Rid Of Bad Ones?
Ask yourself if these habits are good for your physical or mental wellbeing. Try to focus on how they make you feel after and not so much on how it feels in the moment.
Breaking a bad habit won’t happen overnight, but is totally achievable if you change your mindset. Having a reason why you want to start these new, healthy habits is essential and can help you slowly replace bad habits with good ones.
One effective way to build a healthy habit is by creating visual reminders to prompt you. For example, this could be putting a note on your kitchen table reminding you to pack a healthy snack for the day.
Why are Healthy Habits So Hard to Stick To?
We often associate healthy habits with “work”: eating more fruits and vegetables, waking up early, exercising, etc. Seeing them as an extra chore, can make them hard to stick to.
Letting go of this idea, and focusing on the benefits these habits will have on our overall well being, is the first step to achieving them.
It takes a certain state of mind to be able to form healthy habits, but once you have passed this hurdle, the sky’s the limit!
Becoming more mindful of our daily actions, can help us see where we need improvements. Be aware of the healthy habits you already have and build from those.
How Can Healthy Habits Improve Your Quality of Life?
I am a huge advocate for preserving mental wellness and strongly believe that an organized mind leads to better mental health.
It’s hard to believe that so much comes down to habits and having systems in place, but it’s true!
I now have more time than I used to and a much clearer mind, helping me to make better decisions in life.
My advice is… start VERY small. One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to do too much at once, this hardly ever works.
“I’m going to lose 50 pounds in 2 weeks in the new year”, or “I’m going to stop buying coffees everyday to save more money”. “I’m going to quit smoking cold turkey”, “no sweets from now on” (Ha!, This is me).
Instead, try stacking your habits; adding a new habit to an existing one. For example, making your bed and meditating for 5 minutes. This will become routine just like brushing your teeth.
Forming healthy habits has impacted my life for the better, so I thought I’d share some of the best ones with you!
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Here are the 10 Best Healthy Habits That Will Improve Your Quality of Life
1. Focus on What You Can Control
We often put too much emphasis on things we have no control over, causing us unnecessary stress.
It can be hard to accept that certain things are out of our hands, but as soon as we do, we are able to focus on what we can do to help a situation. This will get you out of a rut and help you move on to the next thing.
2. Organize Your Work Space
Decluttering brings a sense of calm and allows us to focus on the task at hand. It can be very distracting to work in a messy environment. Try keeping things in your work space minimal with a desk organizer.
3. Limit Decision Making
Putting systems in place to free up our time and mental space is why we now have the term “work smarter not harder”.
The less decisions we have to make, the more time we have to focus on ourselves which can reduce anxiety.
Think of the meals you want to prepare for the week. Choose a day to buy the ingredients and prep the meals for the rest of the week…one less thing to think about.
4. Start a Simple Exercise Routine
Start with 10 minutes a day and make it as easy as you can in order for it to become a habit you can stick to. I started with simple workout videos on Youtube.
There is literally nothing strenuous about my morning workouts, I just show up for myself every morning for about 20 minutes a day. This seemingly small habit adds up and is very rewarding.
You can even start with a 5 minute stretch every morning, consistency is key here. You’ll eventually want to build on this and maybe add another 5 minutes of cardio.
5. Embrace the Differences in Others
This is still a tough one for me, but I’m getting there. Start making it a habit to accept people the way they are. We are not all built the same and cannot expect to change others, or to be changed ourselves.
If these are people you love and want in your life, you must simply accept them for who they are and appreciate the good they bring to your life.
I’ve recently tried this with a close family member and found that it gave us both more peace, and made it easier talk to each other. Accepting one another makes for better relationships and generally greater happiness.
6. Meditate
I know! Everyone says meditate, but for most of us it’s not so easy. However, taking only 5 minutes a day to close your eyes and be in the present is one of the most important things we can do for our mental health.
Can’t seem to get the hang of it? Alarms, alarms, alarms! They work! I set my alarm for 5 minutes in the morning, sit in a quiet space, and breathe.
7. Be Positive
I can’t emphasize this enough, teaching your mind to think positively will be the most rewarding habit you add to your daily life and will make the others that much easier to attain.
When a negative thought comes in, replace it with something that makes you smile…a picture of your pet, a skill you’re good at, etc.
8. Eat Less Processed Foods
No, not like starting another full force diet…pick ONE thing you can build from. Have blueberries on your grocery list for a month, and put a sticky note on the fridge reminding you to have a handful a day.
Place them in a pretty bowl so they’re visually appealing. You will WANT to reach for them and repeat this action without giving it a second thought, thus forming a new healthy habit.
9. Set Boundaries
Be clear when setting boundaries. We all have the right to our own time, privacy and space.
Learning to say no makes you mentally stronger, warrants respect from others and allows you to get what you want in relationships and in life.
10. Set Realistic Goals
Make it a habit to be honest with yourself when setting goals. Remember that small wins lead to bigger ones.
Having one specific goal in mind can prove more successful than telling yourself you can accomplish more than you can (hence, my simple 20 minute workouts).
Final Thoughts
Choose one healthy habit from my list above. Starting small is key to building the best healthy habits. Try it for 21 days and if you get off track, no worries.. start over.
This is how I began and once I saw how feasible it was, all the other healthy habits just kept rolling in! If this article helped you in any way, please let me know in the comments below!
