Healthy Habits: What Matters Most to you?

HEALTHY HABITS:

WHAT MATTERS MOST TO YOU?

by Cathy Clements, Nutritionist & Life Coach, NASM CNC, CPT, FNS, WFS

Habits can be hard to start because they don’t become one until you’ve put the repetitions in. What a vicious cycle. Hard to start and sometimes to keep.

My suggestion would be to pick one thing you are serious about changing.

Think about the various portions of your life: relationships, financial, exercise, eating or spiritual.

These are a few of the areas important to me.

Take each section and begin writing down what you want to maintain or change in those areas. Habits don’t always have to be things you want to change.

In relationships, I schedule date nights because time with my husband is important and during the week we don’t always make time for each other as we get pulled in different directions. So scheduling a date night ensures there is at least one night a week that we focus on each other and our relationship.

Starting can be difficult, especially if you are not 100% dedicated to it. So start with small steps. If getting a morning walk in is something you want to do, set your shoes and clothes out the night before. When you get up they are right in front of you, so make the decision to put them on. That bring you one step closer to your walk.

If you need to wake up earlier, either go to bed a little earlier or set your alarm to get up a little earlier so you have the time to do the walk.

If a new habit with food is something you want to do, start with cleaning out those items in your pantry and refrigerator that don’t add to your new healthy habit. Stock up on healthier snacks such as fruit and vegetables.

Deciding on what is truly important to you is Step 1. List what you want to keep the same and reinforce and those things you want to change. Then incremental steps toward any one habit is a great place to start.

Why are relationships, spirituality, financial considered healthy habits? These areas of your life can add stress, which is not healthy. When all the important areas of your life are in alignment with your priorities, everything begins to fall into place.