10 Tips to Develop Better Habits this New Year
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A new year is synonymous with a fresh start and new possibilities. But unless you make similar changes in your life throughout the year, all that optimism can quickly dissipate and leave you feeling more discouraged than inspired. Habits are the most common, reliable way of automatically triggering positive changes in our lives. We may not always be aware of them at first, but once we’ve formed them these unconscious habits tend to become increasingly harder to break. To stay on track this new year, follow these 5 simple tips to develop better habits:
Make SMART goals
Habits are formed through repetition, and to make them stick, it’s important that you use the same goal every time you form a new habit. — What are you trying to achieve? — What do you need to do to get there? — When will you start? — How will you measure your progress? — Will you acknowledge your mistakes? — Will you celebrate your successes?
Set up automatic rituals
Boredom may increase your chances of forming a bad habit, so take advantage of the countless ways you can stay occupied and avoid setting the wheels in motion for a new habit to form. Having rituals can help you to avoid day-to-day boredom and give your life structure. It may help to think about rituals as a form of exercise for your mind. Designing rituals can be a great way to stay focused and avoid the natural tendency to get distracted. You can also write down a ritual so that you don’t forget what you’re doing.
Refrain from eating away your willpower
We’ve all been there when we’re trying to make a positive change in our life, but we have a hard time sticking to this new routine because we’re constantly distracted by food. Instead of focusing on your healthy habits, you end up focusing on how you can satisfy your cravings. When you’re forming a new habit, your willpower is at its highest level. This is the only time when you can choose how you want to spend your money, how you want to spend your time and what you want to get out of life. If you don’t use this power wisely, you’ll quickly lose the momentum you had to begin with. So don’t let yourself get distracted by unhealthy cravings, and don’t let yourself get drained by your attempts to resist them.
Exercise regularly
Exercise can seem like a chore at first, but it’s important to remember that it doesn’t have to be dull, painful or strenuous to be effective. Find a form of exercise you enjoy, one that you can make a commitment to do regularly. A habit that’s formed through regular exercise not only improves your overall health, it can also boost your self-esteem and confidence.
Establish a routine that helps you relax
In a fast-paced and hectic world, it’s easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed, which can make it harder to form positive habits. Routines have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and help people to form better habits. It’s important to find a routine that resonates with you, one that helps you relax, re-energises and become more productive. Find a routine that helps you unwind after a stressful day, one that also helps you to stay focused and re-energised for the next day. A routine can be as simple as taking a walk, listening to music, reading a book, meditating, practicing yoga, playing with your pet, cleaning or just taking a break.
Stay consistent and don’t give up easily
When you’re trying to form new habits, it’s important to be consistent, especially when you’re starting out. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can increase the intensity of your workouts or your study schedule to make further improvements in your life. Consistency is also key when it comes to breaking bad habits. If you’ve formed a bad habit and need to break it, don’t give up too quickly. Repeat your new habits until they become part of your daily lifestyle. You may find that some habits are easier to form than others, or that some habits are easier to break than others.
Conclusion
A new year is synonymous with a fresh start and new possibilities. But unless we make similar changes in our lives throughout the year, all that optimism can quickly dissipate and leave us feeling more discouraged than inspired. Habits are the most common, reliable way of automatically triggering positive changes in our lives. We may not always be aware of them at first, but once we’ve formed them these unconscious habits tend to become increasingly harder to break.
To stay on track this new year, follow these 5 simple tips to develop better habits: Make SMART goals, set up automatic rituals, refrain from eating away your willpower, exercise regularly, establish a routine that helps you relax, and stay consistent and don’t give up easily.
