Habits

Let’s talk about habits. They are those patterns we act out regularly that eventually become second nature to us. We usually do not realize that we are forming these simple actions into daily habits. That’s why when we are trying either to form a new habit or break an ugly habit, we find it difficult.

How long does it take to acquire a new habit anyway? I was very interested to learn more about this so I tuned to an NPR podcast titled “Habits: How They Form and How to Break Them." The gist of the podcast talks about how there is a three-part process that one goes through in order to diagnose their action as a “habit.”

1. Cue/Trigger: Your brain gets a message to allow the behavior to unfold. For example, you have an urge to start eating healthier, so you decide to make yourself a protein smoothie every day for breakfast .
2. Routine: This is the actual behavior being played out. You wake up and make the smoothie first thing in the morning
3. Reward: Something positive happens in reaction to the action being played out. You notice that you have a lot more energy after drinking a smoothie every morning. 

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After learning this easy three-step process, it seems like it would be simple to form healthy habits right? Well there is another factor to it. 

It takes a little bit of time for an action to form a habit and vice versa. A study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology discovered it takes exactly 66 days to form or break a habit. Sixty-six days does not seem like a long time on paper, but it can be an intimidating number for individuals who are participating in forming new habits. 

The good news is that once you get closer to that 66-day mark, your brain requires less and less work to follow through with the action you are trying to achieve. Just think about how easy it is to brush your teeth every morning or how you don’t even think about taking a shower regularly. These actions almost seem involuntary. This is because these actions are actually habits you (hopefully) formed at a very young age!

Other things to think about when forming or breaking a habit: 

• Start small! If your goal is to be able to run for 30 minutes without stopping, don’t try to run for 30 minutes the first day. Start with 5 minutes for the first week. Then if you are feeling stronger, try 10 minutes the next week and so on. 
• Don’t quit if you mess up. It is nearly impossible to follow through perfectly on your goal every day. So if you don’t complete what you wanted to on any one day, just start over the next day without becoming hard on yourself! 
• Positive reinforcement helps! Spoil yourself at the end of a successful week of completing your goals! Whether it be a day at the nail salon, a shopping trip, or a fun brunch with your friends! 
• Consistency is key. This is the main goal. If you are able to be consistent in your goals, you can conquer anything in your path.
• Find a support system. This can be a friend, family member, colleague, personal trainer, or coach who is a reliable, positive role model and can cheer you on through hardship and success. 

If you are confused or overwhelmed on where to start with your fitness and wellness goals/habits, contact me, and we will work together to figure out a long-lasting and easy-to-follow plan for you 

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