Most of us have a long list of lifestyle changes and habits we would like to make to our lives, but just always seem to put them off. From wanting to be more physically active and hitting the gym, to just generally taking better care of ourselves, it can be difficult to make those necessary changes. This is because while you may know exactly what you need to do, the reality of doing them on a regular basis is a lot more difficult.
Let’s face it, after a long hard day at the office, the last thing you can feel like doing is heading to the workout class or jumping on that Zoom HIIT class. You just want to stay up late watching your favourite show and eating pizza. However, if you are serious about making positive changes to your life, and want to know how, then this is the place for you. Here is everything you need to know about how to create life-changing habits you will commit to. You can thank us later!
Be realistic
One of the biggest tips that we can offer you when it comes to creating and maintaining life-changing habits is to keep it realistic. If you tell yourself that you are going to go to the gym for at least 2 hours, 7 nights a week, then you are just setting yourself up for a fall. The less obtainable your goals and lifestyle habits are, the less likely you are to achieve them, and the easier it will become for you to just give up altogether.
So, we recommend that you sit down and think about the changes that you would like to make and how you can realistically fit them into your current schedule. This means that you can still honour all of the work and life commitments you already have, while also including your new life-changing habits.
Understand your why
Creating new habits doesn’t just happen overnight and instead they usually come from a want or desire to make necessary changes in your life. It is important to remember that everyone’s reason why is different. So whereas your friends may be looking to be healthier and lose weight, you may simply have the goal that you want to look after yourself better. There is no right or wrong reason why you should make the necessary changes to your lifestyle, but it is important that you have a reason that you believe in.
If you try to make changes to your lifestyle, but don’t feel strongly about it, then you won’t feel fully committed and therefore won’t stick to it. Similarly, you should consider why you want to make specific changes and make sure they are personal to you. You shouldn’t force yourself into changing your lifestyle habits just because it’s what your friends and family are doing.
Show daily commitment
If you want to create life-changing habits, then you need to ensure that you commit to them 100 percent. This means doing something on a daily basis that shows you are dedicated to making those changes. It can be tempting to only commit to certain habits and lifestyle changes on days when we are feeling positive and happy. But you will benefit a whole lot more by sticking to your healthy lifestyle habits on a day when you really don’t feel like it.
Showing daily commitment to your new life-changing habits don’t have to be as challenging and time-consuming as you might think, and simply by using healthy lifestyle apps and lifestyle trackers, you can stay on top of how active you have been. This will also make it easier for you to notice that you haven’t been as active today as you could’ve been.
Get enough sleep
While the majority of us would agree that not having a good night’s sleep can leave us feeling irritable and frustrated, it can also have an impact on your overall health and wellbeing. This is because our bodies can’t survive without sleep, and it is required for both our physical and mental health. While we are asleep, there are many bodily functions and processes that take place, which we depend upon in order to function correctly throughout the day. This is why if you have not had the rest you need at night, then you can feel forgetful and disorientated the following day.
With that in mind, one of the kindest things you can do for yourself is to prioritise getting enough sleep. When we are busy with work and family commitments, our sleep can be one of the first things we sacrifice, but it is one of the things we need the most. You will also find that by providing your body with enough good quality sleep that it needs to function at its best, you will be able to create and commit to life-changing habits much easier.
Use online resources
The great thing about modern society is that there is now pretty much an app for everything. Whether you want to contact friends and family on the other side of the world, or you want help when it comes to sticking to your new healthier lifestyle choices, there are online resources to help you. For example, the PACTIVE app is a lifestyle app that helps you to make more active choices, alongside your friends and family. From your diet to your activity levels, to setting challenges and activities with your friends, you can use their lifestyle tracker to stay on plan.
This healthy lifestyle app also allows you to set your own pace when it comes to getting active. PACTIVE allows everyone to get involved no matter what their physical ability is. This helps to keep exercise fun and enjoyable, which will help you to commit to it long term.
It can be pretty overwhelming when it comes to creating life-changing habits that you can stick to. But by being realistic and kind to yourself, you can make the right changes for you, that you can enjoy alongside friends and family. Remember that you aren’t in this alone, and by using the support offered to you by healthy lifestyle trackers, you can enjoy the benefits of taking better care of your physical and mental health.
Punit