Most people know what they need to do to live healthier and longer lives, but making those changes seems too overwhelming. While there may be several changes you need or want to make in your life, you shouldn’t feel as though you have to do everything all at once. Instead, here are some tips to help you develop positive habits that you can sustain over a long period of time.
Work on a Single Habit
You should focus on just one habit at a time, concentrating on making that lifestyle change a normal part of your new life. Even one positive habit is going to take a tremendous amount of will power and concentration, so you don’t want to take on too much at once. For example, if you want to eat a healthier diet, start with breakfast. Eliminate processed meats and introduce healthier fats into your morning meal. This, in itself, can take time as you learn what breakfast foods are healthier for you. Once you master breakfast, you can move on to making your lunches healthier meals.
Tackle the Biggest Changes First
A couple of the most significant lifestyle habits people want to change include eating healthier meals and getting more exercise. You should look at the habits you want to develop in your life and rank them from the most to the least challenging. By starting at the top of that list, you can change the bigger habits that will make the least challenging changes easier to make.
Create a Supportive Environment
Finally, make sure your environment supports the habits you want to introduce into your life. If you want to eat a healthier diet, stop buying ice cream, candy, and pastries. When you want to start each day with a morning jog, make sure to set out your workout clothes before going to bed to ensure you’ll see them as soon as you wake up. Gentle reminders will help you reinforce your positive habits while helping you give up bad habits.
You can use these tips to help you change your life one habit at a time. Once you have been practicing one new habit for six months or more, you can accept that it’s something to which you have become accustomed. At that point, you’ll be able to add another positive habit to your lifestyle, following these same steps.