5 Ways to Make Wellness a Habit
So You Want to Introduce Wellness Into Your Life?
If I were to tell you that who you are and the life you are living is largely the result of your habits, would you believe me? Just as our body is the sum of the cells in it, habits are essential building blocks in our lives and the good news is, we are in control of changing them! Learning how to change our habits is essential if we are going to change ourselves and create greater wellness.
If we want to be happier, healthier, or less stressed, we just need to master the ability to change our habits. And while changing habits may sound daunting, once you break it down into bite size pieces it’s really much simpler than it sounds. In his post Habits 101: Essential Things You Should Know About Your Everyday Behavior, Leo Babauta outlines 36 ways to change your habits that are well worth the read. But just like he says, start with a few so you’re not overwhelmed. Here are my favorites:
5 Ways to Create a Habit of Wellness
1. Start Small
Trying to make big changes all at once can be recipe for failure. Changing your life in small, incremental ways has a much higher likelihood of success because the change is less uncomfortable. Once you adapt to this tiny change and it becomes part of your new normal, you have a success to celebrate and momentum builds. So instead of saying “I’m going to exercise 30 minutes every day”, how about just 15 minutes? Choose from hundreds of 15 minute workout routines here and and stick with it.
2. Pick One Thing at a Time
We often have a long list of things we’d like to change, believing it would make us healthier and more balanced. But it’s better to pick just one thing at time and focus on it exclusively. Don’t waste time making long lists and prioritizing. Just pick the first thing that comes to mind and start doing it consistently. Once you’ve mastered that change, pick another. Try adding meditation to your day to increase mindfulness. A great place to start is Davidji’s Fostering Mindfulness: The Essence of Meditation .
3. Sleep Matters - You Need Your Energy
Changing habits takes mental and physical discipline and when your energy is low, it’s that much harder to have the necessary willpower to devote to creating a new habit. When we’re rested and full of energy, our enthusiasm for doing what’s necessary to accomplish a goal ensures we can push through any discomfort. Why not try these yoga practices and meditations to promote better sleep and keep your energy levels up.
4. Use Accountability and Enlist Support
Habits are reinforced by feedback. The social support and positive encouragement we receive from others is a great way to get that feedback and encouragement as you’re building a new habit. Even if you’re practicing at home, participating with in the Grokker enthusiast and expert community can be a great way to enlist support.
5. Finally, Just Be Kind To Yourself
Accept that you will fail, at least some of the time. Learning new skills always comes with making mistakes so have empathy with yourself. Be understanding and compassionate and praise yourself for continually refocusing and showing up each day to try and build your new habit. Foster inner acceptance, set your intentions, and cultivate awareness and gratitude that will help you be compassionate toward yourself. Wellness is a journey, not a destination, and that journey takes many different routes.