How often have you tried to start a new routine that’s supposed to be great for you, only to find yourself quitting shortly after?
You wouldn’t be the only one.
Habits are difficult to maintain and easy to break. So there’s no need to be hard on yourself. Everybody has been there.
At Herbaly, we believe that it’s through the development of healthy habits that you’ll be able to change your life for the better. This includes keeping your mind and body in top shape.
It’s not going to be easy in the beginning, but the odds are you’ll get hooked on keeping a healthy lifestyle. And to help you on your journey, we’ve come up with a list of four tips to get you started.
Health Tip:#1 – Start Building a Routine
Without a routine, you’re likely to find yourself running in place. One bad day is often enough to make you skip exercise or another chosen activity.
How many times have you said something like “I’ll do that later”and then the day is over before you know it? It’s easy to be wrapped up in excuses if you haven’t set a time for your activity.
Therefore, it’s essential to include your new habit in your schedule and get it done at the same time. It doesn’t matter when – before a shower, after lunch, on alternate days, and whatnot – you’ve just got to stick to that routine.
It may be best to try different times of day until you find one that suits you. You’ll find yourself subconsciously associate that time with that activity always.
And then you can start to populate your schedule with other beneficial habits or activities of your choice.
#2 – Use Rewards and ‘Checkpoints’
People respond to rewards.
Think about it. Dogs learn best with positive encouragement, i.e. treats. Even a small token of appreciation can make an employee work twice as hard. And good students are rewarded with good grades.
By the same token, wouldn’t it make sense to reward yourself for having performed a new activity you wish to adopt? It’s a great way to encourage yourself.
It could be buying new workout clothes after a week of perseverance. Or, as simple as spending the evening watching your favorite show.
With the brain spurring you on mindful of the rewards to come, you might just find yourself looking forward to whatever you have to do.
Furthermore, you may want to set checkpoints for tracking your progress. These are clear goals that you can challenge yourself to achieve.
It’s a particularly great system to combine with rewards. For example, a reward for hitting one or a set of checkpoints.
#3 – Stick with What You Love
There are lots of activities that can improve your well-being, so you might as well pick one or three that you enjoy.
Hitting the gym is not for everyone, and if it’s not for you, you don’t have to do it. Else it’s likely not going to stick.
Instead, go with exercises and activities that make you feel good. Some enjoy cycling and others prefer long walks, and that’s just for a start. You could also search online for more ideas.
And, should your current routine start to disagree with you for any reason, you could just switch to another that works better, but preferably without having a break in routine. Any time off may make it hard to return to the established schedule.
#4 – Start Small
If you set a mighty goal from the start, chances are you won’t accomplish it.
Take weight loss for example. If you set an ambitious goal of 50 pounds, you’ll probably end up disappointed.
It can even be counter-productive. You could end up abandoning the goal at best and developing bad habits even.
The best way to keep up with any new and healthy habit is to start in small doses and build up from there. Integrate the abovementioned reward system and you’re on your way.
Rather than the gym, you can start by adjusting your daily menu. Such as drinking a cup of nutritious tea that can benefit you in numerous ways.
This could be enough to propel you to take further steps to improve your health.
Case in point, a cup of Herbaly’s Wellness Blend tea a day is enough to help your immune system and calm your nerves. And it requires less than a minute to prepare.
It’s a perfect small exercise.
Do you have any tips of your own to add? What are you doing to maintain your healthy habits? Let us know in the comments below.
