How to Build Healthy Habits - And Keep Them!

Written by Sam Bowman 

Every year, many of us make resolutions for our health that we hope to accomplish during the next 12 months. As we soon realize, sticking to those habits is easier said than done. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s talk about important healthy routines to consider and how to stick with them until you reach your goals. 

How To Create A Habit 

In order to avoid a "boom and bust" routine or giving up a habit too early, you need to know how to make those behaviours stick. There are many great methods you can try, and according to James Clear, author of the book Atomic Habits, the best way to ease into a goal is by breaking the larger habit down into smaller parts.  

Let’s say you want to exercise for 30 minutes every morning. Ease into that by starting with 15 minutes and then see how you feel. You can split up that time by doing half in the morning and half at night.  

Set realistic goals that you can attain without getting too stressed. For instance, set a realistic weight loss goal and give yourself time to achieve it. It is important to avoid losing patience and stick with your plan. So, if you want to lose ten pounds over the course of the year, don’t decide two months in that you need to speed up your timetable and go overboard, or you may end up hurting yourself or giving up on the goal altogether. 

Decluttering Is Key 

You can also keep your positive habit going by making your life easier in general and creating reminders around the home. The first step is to declutter your home. When your house is messy or unorganized, it affects your mental health because you may feel like you are losing control of your environment.  

So, clean each room and put everything in its place. Anything you don’t need, you should donate to charity. If you keep your house organized day after day then you will spend less time cleaning, and you can focus more on your health goals. 

Now that your rooms are clean, you can use that new space to place reminders of the goals you hope to achieve. As an example, if you want to make it a habit to drink a healthy smoothie every day, then you could assemble your ingredients the night before, so you can be reminded to prepare your drink.   

Get Help For Your Habit 

If you try these techniques, but you still need help keeping up with your habit, then it may be time to find help.  

Find a friend who also wants to live a healthier life and set up a routine where you both go running every evening after work or go grocery shopping together to keep each other accountable. 

You could also seek out professional help by hiring a personal trainer. A trainer will be there every day when you get to the gym, and they will let you know what exercises you can do to reach your fitness goals. Not only will this social support keep you engaged, but when you pay a personal trainer, you know that you should keep going to the gym, so you aren’t wasting money. 

Try these tactics, and best of luck with your new routine! 

Sam Bowman writes about people, health, wellness, and how they merge. He enjoys getting to utilize the internet for community without actually having to leave his house. In his spare time he likes running, reading, and combining the two in a run to his local bookstore.