For many of us, the start of a new year is often a time when we begin to pay a little more attention to our overall health, perhaps even making a resolution to eat more veggies, practice relaxation strategies or exercise several times per week.
But to make these health goals stick, you need to turn them into habits – and this takes planning, effort and patience. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Do some mental prep: Getting healthy starts in your head. In other words, even if you’re not ready to take an actionable step – like taking a walk each day or meditating before bed – you can get started by doing a little research and mapping out how you might best integrate these healthy habits into your current lifestyle.
Make healthy equal happy. Leading a healthier life shouldn’t feel draining or like too much effort – so figure out which activities fit your personality and excite and inspire you. This will make it that much easier to turn healthy into a habit.
Think long-term. The reason fad diets or fitness crazes often fizzle is because they aren’t sustainable for the long-term. Instead, you want to focus on small, attainable goals that you can stick with overtime.
Think slow and steady. Along the same lines, you want to build up your efforts slowly so you don’t burnout. For example: If your goal is to become more active, begin with a 10-minute walk a few times a week. Or, if you want to make meditation part of your routine, start with just five minutes once a week.
Build a support network. Sticking to your goals is always easier when you have a mentor, friend or family member in your corner. But, remember, you must first be accountable to yourself, so set up a system whereby you regularly track (and reward yourself for) your own progress.
Health and Wellness and Addiction TreatmentNorthStar Transitions offers clients general wellness programming so they can develop healthy habits and routines that can be used during and after addiction treatment. To learn more about our programs and services, call today: 303-625-6335.
