How to Create Healthy Habits that Stick

Studies show that established habits are easy to maintain. It’s getting started that’s hard!

Habits are things you do regularly without much thought or effort, such as locking the door when you leave the house or turning the lights off when you exit a room. They are formed when behaviours or routines become automatic. And for every habit you have, your brain creates neural pathways which reinforce it.

Here are tips for creating healthy habits that will stick:

Start small 

It’s always a good idea to aim for realistic habits that fit your life and schedule. Attempting a major overhaul makes new routines harder to keep up with. Instead, pick one thing you’d like to focus on. Here are a few examples:

• Get active: Whenever you have the choice between an elevator or using the stairs, choose the stairs. After a while, you won’t have to decide; you’ll automatically take the stairs.

• Stay hydrated: Carry a one-litre water bottle with you and drink it every hour. Set a reminder to help you establish the habit. Aim to finish around three bottles a day.

• Eat healthier: Make a smoothie every morning for breakfast. It’s a simple way to consume more fruits and vegetables and fuel up your body. And it will become easier to do if you make it part of your daily routine.

Reduce activation effort 

Try removing barriers that prevent you from starting a new activity. Reducing the effort or time it takes to get started will help you complete the activity more frequently. The more often you complete a new routine, the sooner it becomes an established habit.

• Make it easier to get to the gym by packing your bag the day before and leaving it at the front door.

• Read more often by keeping books next to your favourite chair or bedside table.

• Instead of stashing weights, resistance bands or your new guitar in the back of a closet, store them in a visible spot. As well as saving time, this serves as a visual cue and reminder for you to get at it!

Try habit stacking 

It’s easier to create new habits when they don’t require a lot of willpower. Habit stacking is a way to use an existing habit to your advantage by piggybacking a new one onto it.

• Want to start eating breakfast regularly or eat more fruit? Every time you make your morning coffee, grab an apple or banana and eat it while your java brews.

• Need to lower your stress levels? Once you hit the end call button or a few minutes before every video or phone call, take a moment to breathe deeply.

Try the CCRR method 

James Clear wrote a book called Atomic Habits in which he broke down the process of building habits into four simple steps:

1. Cue

2. Craving

3. Response

4. Reward

   
   

Here’s how it works:

• Cues trigger your brain to start doing something that will eventually lead to a reward. Sometimes a cue happens as part of a sequence

• Cravings make us take action. If you want to meditate in the morning, link it with your morning coffee. The natural craving will help you act on the positive behavior once they become associated.

• Response. You responded to the coffee craving by taking the time to meditate first.

• Finally, you get your reward by satisfying your craving.

Here’s another example of how to use CCRR to build healthy habits:

Create a new exercise habit 

Cue: Make your morning coffee and put it in a to-go cup. This is the cue that you’re ready for your morning walk.

Craving: The cue of making your morning coffee and pouring it into a travel mug makes your body crave the feel-good benefits of going for a walk.

Response: Lace up your sneakers, bring your coffee and get out there!

Reward: Exercise feels good. It releases endorphins, improves muscle strength, and boosts endurance.

Take breaks and be patient 

It can take time to form new habits, so don’t beat yourself up if you need to skip a day or are simply too busy to keep the habit train rolling. If you miss a few days, shake it off and try again tomorrow. After all, building a new habit is easier when it’s manageable. At the same time, make sure to celebrate your successes and use your new awesomeness as motivation.