Creating Health Building Habits
Habits are one of my most favourite things to teach and to talk to clients about. Why? Well this is where people start to see results. When we change our habits we start to change our behaviours, our thoughts, our feelings and our results! I am not going to sugar coat it it can be some of the most challenging work you will do but the rewards are instrumental.
The habits, routines and the daily practices that you keep are what influence your results in anything. If you didn’t have the habit of brushing your teeth morning and night your dental hygiene would be affected. If you didn’t have the habit of brushing your hair you would have quite the hair style. If you didn’t have the habit of getting up and getting to work on time your livelyhood would be affected.
By definition a habit is a task that we do daily without thinking. Some serve us and some do not. Some served us for a period of time and some we have out grown. The habits, the things we do daily are what affect the results of the goals that we want to acheive - whether that is energy, supporting a health issue, weight management or striving to sleep better. The daily actions we take will either move us towards our goal or not. Last summer I read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. I just loved this book it really broke down how to address habits - all habits. No there is no magic wand but there are keys things, ways to think that can make the creation of a new habit successful!
One of the thinga that we tend to underestimate is the power of small actions. We around surrounded by influences that tell us that we have to make BIG changes to have profound affects on our goals. I see it all the time in the nutrition world. People are wanting to loose weight and they take huge measures to count all the food they eat, to restrict fats or carbohydrates, to not eat until a certain time, to take on long fasting times even though their body is screaming at them to stop; but making time to cook at home, to include more veggies at each meal or drink more water is asking the world.
James Clear talks about being 1% better everyday- these tiny changes in daily routines can guide you in a completely different direction. We aren’t striving for perfection- but are the small daily habits setting you on the path to your bigger goals. For me I know that my biggest health obstacle is my adrenal and thyroid health. When I don’t stick to eating mostly whole foods, limiting stimulants (coffee, sugar and alcohol) and managing my stress. My body SCREAMS at me loudly. I go through times where I am on point and there are other times where I end up on a path going in the opposite direction. Neither are a big deal but for me I like to have energy, I like to not wake up in pain each day and most of all I like when my emotions are regulated. A U turn in the middle of my journey is not successful to getting me back on track. I end up missing the mark over and over. For me I have to be really clear on my intentions. I have to focus on what I am going to do.
Progress
We often think of progress as liner and quick. Really progress is anything but. We all will go through the honeymoon phase of a new habit. This is when we are all in, we are excited and we are willing to do whatever it takes to make this habit stick. Then the progress doesn’t meet our expectations so we get frustrated. That nasty little voice in our head try to convince us we don’t need to stick with it. One day break is no big deal. Sound familiar? Sure it does it happens to us ALL. This is why new habits can be difficult to create. Why sometimes we have to restart and try again.
Staying laser focused the feeling that you want to have. The person that you want to become. This is what will help you show up even when every part of you says you don’t have to or you don’t want to. Each day that you show up for yourself and you do the work you will move closer to your goal. It will take patience. It may even require a new level of openness and awareness.
Becoming Aware
When we want to change a habit we need to be aware of the habit and it’s cues. This will help us to understand why we are having a tough time replacing it with a new habit or why we keep coming back to the same place. Sometimes we can see the details when look at the chain of events. Sometimes the solution becomes VERY simple and sometimes NOT.
If you are trying to cook dinner when you get home from work take a look at how that sequence goes.
Get home from work. Decide what to make. Look for the ingredients. Get frustrated that we don’t have everything. Pull out phone to look for a recipe. Get distracted and scroll on phone. Get hungry. Tired. Don’t want to cook. Order take out.
This could go more like:
Get home from work. Chicken is taken out already. Look at meal plan - making stir fry. Chop veggies, cooke rice, cook chicken, assemble stir fry and eat.
Motivation is Overated
While motivation is a great tool when it comes to making changes to habits around food it takes more than motivation and self control alone. Foods like sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and junk food are often linked to emotions. We tend to react with emotions first when it comes to many decisions particularly foods. When we can understand and identify our emotions related to food we can start to change the habits. How many times have you tried to stop eating sugar and then something stressful happens and you find yourself with an empty bag of chips in your lap. Stress and a state of overwhelm leads to eating what ever is in sight, craving for sweets and a creamy latte! When I acknowledged this and recognize that fulfilling these cravings didn’t fix my stress or overwhelm I was able to make small changes around this habit.
I got curious about my emotions, my reactions and how I go there. I got curious about how to respond to my needs vs react to my emotions. This is when I was able to make changes to my diet and my health.
So you can see that there are a lot behind the habits that you carry. Which is why it’s not a quick shift to change them and create new ones. Compassion and patience are needed.
6 Tips to Create New Habits
Manageable & Sustainable
When you take small and consistent actions they are more likely to become a part of our daily routines. Why? Because it is manageable and sustainable. It doesn't feel invasive and overwhelming. This is when real change in your health occurs. Anytime we do something for 30 days and go back to the what we did before we aren't making lasting changes in our results.
Incremental Progress
When we slowly add to our progress over time. This concept is also regarded at as 'habit stacking' . This is for example when you add a new habit to an established habit ie I will brush my teeth then drink 1 L of water.
Overwhelm is Overrated
When one bites off BIG changes to achieve our goals we often end up overwhelmed and reverting to old comfortable habits. Instead if we break down goals into smaller, manageable steps they feel less daunting and more achievable.
Adaptability
When we are making changes it is going to take time, compassion and flexibility. We aren't striving for 100% but trying, learning and adjusting to ones unique needs. Sometimes things that we think will work don't flow as planned. We learn from and adjust accordingly.
Create a New Habit
When we keep practicing something over and over day after day. Eventually it reinforces it has a new habit. Making it the new action desired and it becomes automatic and long-lasting.
Celebrate!
We have to celebrate along the way. If we don’t take moments to recognise and celebrate the gains we make our motivation with wane.
If you are trying to achieve new goals or to create a new feeling. Be compassionate to yourself as you travel on this journey. Ask for support and guidance where you need it. Changing the foods we eat and the patterns we have around food is NOT easy. BUT it doesn't have to be HARD either. You get to choose. He requires laser focus around the thoughts and feeling that you want to have! I would love to here about the habits you are creating or the journey you are on. Reach out!
