I don't know about you, but I've always said that the new year actually starts in February. It puts less pressure to create new years resolutions and never stick to the things you want to achieve for the year. Instead, it usually creates a bad habit of committing to your new goals for a couple days, or maybe a week if you're lucky, before giving up completely! However, this blog will help you create, and actually stick to healthy habits in order to have a successful 2023.
How long does it take to form a habit?
There have been countless studies, and theories, as to how long it actually takes to develop and form a habit - whether it's bad or good. No matter the specific time, it will always differ person to person. There are many circumstances that can affect ones progression; behaviours, circumstances, and the specific person themselves. It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit, averaging at 66 days for a new behaviour to become an automatic practise.
However, it's important to note that patience and discipline is key! It's okay to be inconsistent here and there. No one expects you to commit to the gym five times a week, or never eat carbs again, and you should not expect that from yourself either. Consistency is more important than perfection, and we're here to create and build healthy habits, not perfect them (because that is quite literally impossible).
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First and foremost, write down and visualise your goals. Before committing to anything, sit and think on what you want to work on. It's easy to list every single thing you want to change, but take a moment to analyse and reflect on the last year and specify what would be the most beneficial things change. For me, my time management could do with a lot of work... and I mean a lot!
Being physically active is a great way to kick start your journey to forming healthy habits. Movement is just what your body and mind need. Like mentioned before, no one is expecting you to be an avid gym goer, hitting workouts 5 days a week. Going to the gym on a regular basis even once a week is a great way to get in a routine and that in itself already forms it as a habit. It'll slowly build, and you'll see yourself wanting and going to the gym 2 or 3 times more.
With that being said, going to the gym isn't the only way to be active. Going on regular walks are the perfect way to get that bit of movement into your day. Whether it's a half an hour walk around your neighbourhood, or an hour walk in the park, it'll benefit you massively. Not only is it a great healthy habit to nurture, but it's also great to be in nature. Removing yourself from certain environments and going outside to take a breath of fresh air will do wonders to your mood.
Another place where you really need to be forming healthy habits is within self-care!
If you're anything like me, you find yourself constantly prioritising the care of others, than you do yourself. Not to say that there is anything wrong with that, however you should be your main priority. Don't take a back seat on your own care. Recently I have been romanticising my skincare routine and have been taking 'mental health baths.' There's nothing better than laying in the bath with either a Lush bath bomb, or numerous bath oils, especially after a long, and mentally exhausting day. Romanticising such things will help create that regular habit and need of doing the things that you know are good for yourself. Practise self care, and you'll definitely see changes around yourself, and how others treat you too.
A necessary form of self-care is to ensure that you're eating healthy. No, this doesn't mean that you should only be eating salads, and never eating sugar again, but highlighting the need of fruits and vegetables in your everyday diet. Refer back to the nutrition plate, and be sure to implement the right amount of protein, fruits, veg, carbs and dairy into your diet. Having a well balanced diet will ensure you have the right energy levels to tackle absolutely any and everything your day brings. Not only that, but it will also make you feel so good about yourself, and that's exactly what we want!
Not only are your activity/movement levels and diet important, but so is your sleep. The average recommended amount of sleep for an adult is 7 hours. In order to be fully rested, have your brain on it's 'A game' and your energy levels high, it's crucial to stick to a sleep schedule. This will differ greatly person to person, and it's all dependant on your lifestyle. To form a good sleep schedule and stick to this habit, you will need to be consistent with the time you go to sleep at night. Some great actions to take before going to sleep are
Making sure you don't consume any food at least 2 hours before sleep time
No screen time, if anything this can actually prolong the amount of time it takes to fall asleep
Do not work, study or stress (overthink) before going to bed
If you're really struggling with sleeping earlier/consistently, I recommend listening to ocean or rainforest sounds, listen to a podcast, play instrumentals to softly sleep to (nothing too upbeat and loud) or read a book. Sometimes I'll grab a piece of paper and a pen, write down all the thoughts that are clouding my brain, making it impossible to sleep, and just let it all go...
That conveniently brings me onto journaling. Whether it's a line a day, or a round up of your week, journal everything! This is an extremely effective way to sort through the chaos in your head, and really helps you in terms of your mental health. You can learn more about yourself and your feelings by simply jotting down whatever comes from your mind. Whether it's dark, raw or vulnerable, visually seeing your thoughts outside of your head is a great way to de-stress, and dump out all the energy that isn't serving you well. No matter what you write, it will help reduce your stress and anxiety levels. Making this a habit will genuinely make you a different person - you'll be able to track your development from your past you, to the current and best version of yourself.
Alongside this, it's also very important to get your organisational skills in check. Whether it's your personal finances, planning out your week and writing to-do lists, make sure you master this skill. These skills will help create focus and structure, and you will genuinely be able to see where any of your time is best placed.
It is also important to be extremely mindful of what content you are consuming. Take the time to scroll through your Instagram timeline, your TikTok following and 'For You Page' and the countless tweets on your Twitter home screen. Block trigger words, content creators and pages that negatively impact your social space. No two people live the same life, and social media is full of everyone showing off their best moments, and we are all collectively guilty of doing this. Constantly jumping from trend to trend, and the never ending cancel culture and drama is something you do not need to be seeing online. Unfollow those who you are no longer inspired by, and replace it with all the things you do want to see. I have a major problem with 'hustle culture' and hate seeing posts that tell me to wake up at 5am and 'grind.'
It's totally unrealistic and promotes an unhealthy living style. Don't be so naive to believe and try everything that you see online. You don't need to be dedicating all hours of your day to working, and sacrificing self-care, and even your most basic of needs. The amount of work you put into something will not always equate to the amount of success it, or you, may have. Most people that preach this culture and lifestyle are left unfulfilled and burnt out, but like mentioned before, that's not something they would want to showcase and promote online.
Do yourself a favour, and start your day completely screen free. The time you spend aimlessly scrolling on your phone in the morning can be better suited to take part in some self-care, yoga or meditation, or simply indulging in a new hobby or activity. You'll have a structured morning, creating a new habit that is beneficial to yourself and lifestyle.
I hope you've managed to take at least a couple points from this blog post. I genuinely hope you all create healthy habits this year, not only for your physical self, but also for your mental state. 2023 is the year of being selfish and putting yourself, your goals and your dreams first. I've already started implementing these in my daily routines, and it's slowly been paying off. I hope that you feel the same too, and remember, it's important to take everything one day at a time.
- H x
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