Making habits stick

Not all habits are bad.  Sometimes it is useful to make the decision to incorporate new habits into your daily life and routine.  Following are some tips and tricks to help you create your new habits.

1. Link it to a current habit.  This may be when I clean my teeth I will...  or when I first get into my car for the day I will... or once I am ready for bed but before I get into bed I will...  Different habits will work better attached to different current habits and at different times of the day.  If you have a habit you are having trouble keeping, consider if there is a better time of day or a different current habit you could link it to that may work better.
2. Decide - this word means to cut away all other possibilities.  Sometimes if habits are hard to keep because you have not truly made a decision - you are wishy washy in your thinking on the matter.  If it is worth making into a habit, it is worth you deciding to make it a habit.
3. Make it daily.  For some people abstinence is much easier than moderation.  For example if you have trouble getting up at a particular time to get your exercise in before work because you lay in bed thinking up excuses, it may be useful to tell yourself that you will do it daily and that no excuses will cut it.  If sleeping in is no longer in your tool box, you no longer think about it - it is a habit now.  Sugar is another place this can work well - for a lot of people, even a little leads to a spiral whereby total abstinence may be the best option.
4. Build in "days off" or "cheat days".  In opposition to the last one - for some people and some habits you may need to build in "days off" or "cheat days".  It may be - I will fast for 12 hours every night except on Friday night when I will allow myself to eat and drink however I like or, when I am on holidays and not sleeping in my own bed I will not have my green smoothie.  
5. Be prepared.  I like to jump on my mini tramp for 5-10 mins each evening to enhance lymph flow followed by laying on my foam roller for releasing muscle tension and winding down my sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous system ready for sleep.  To make this routine easier,  I keep my mini tramp and foam roller in close proximity to the lounge room where I plan to use them.  On the reverse side of this, too much planning and needing everything to be perfect before you start can be a hindrance too.  If you are waiting until you are full of energy before you start walking - it will never happen - you need to be exercising to have the energy you are waiting for.

There are many more tools available to help you start and stick to habits and prepare yourself for those potential "fall off the wagon" moments.   Plenty of books have been written on these things.  These just happen to be my favourites so far.  Good luck in creating healthy habits to make your life even better! ~ Bel