How to Create Sustainable Healthy Habits in 2023
In our last article, I talked about 5 Steps to Making Clean Eating Sustainable in 2023. Today I’m sharing how you can create an environment and set up habits to see sustainable change in your health using a few tools based off the book Atomic Habits.
Make it Attractive
If the idea of meal prepping or working out sounds unappealing, find ways to make it more attractive. Plan to meal prep with a friend, while watching your favourite show, listening to your favourite podcast or reward yourself at the end with something you enjoy.
Pairing an unattractive task with something you like will make you much more likely to do that task.
Make it Easy - Set Up Your Physical Environment
Designing your physical environment to make it easy to perform healthy habits is key. If you want to workout more often, lay out your workout clothes and runners the night before. If you want to drink more water, leave a full water bottle by your toothbrush every night, so drinking water is the first thing you do after brushing your teeth in the morning. If you want to remember to take your supplements, fill a pill packet each week so you can pop them in your bag when you leave the house each day.
The more you do a habit, the easier it will become.
Make it Difficult
If you want to eat healthier, have food prepped in the fridge and freezer. That way, stopping on the way home for fast food is going to be less appealing because you’re essentially wasting money. If you don’t want to go on social media in the morning, leave it another room before you go to bed. If you want to go to bed earlier and stop watching so much YouTube, put a timer on your wifi router to turn off at 9pm.
Increase resistance to bad habits and decrease resistance to good habits.
Set Up Your Routine for Success
Set up your plan and routine using this strategy to build healthy habits into your daily and weekly routine. Grab a notebook and write:
I will (BEHAVIOUR) at (TIME) in (LOCATION).
Now rewrite it for each new healthy habit you’re looking to create. Be as specific as possible to help keep you on track. Here are some examples:
I will meal prep at 4:00 every Sunday afternoon in my kitchen.
I will meditate for 5 minutes at 6:45 every morning on my couch.
I will workout for 15 minutes at 7:00 every morning in my living room.
I will read for 10 minutes at 9:30 every night in my bed.
Another extremely useful tool is Habit Stacking, where you stack multiple habits together using something you already do every day. For example, when you get up in the morning and brush your teeth, you immediately grab a glass of water and head the living room for your meditation. Directly after meditating for 5 minutes you start your workout. This can be used for any habit at any time of day.
Use the Two-Minute Rule
Any habit can be simplified into a two minute version.
“Meal-prepping for a whole week” becomes “putting leftovers in a container for lunch the next day”.
“Doing a 30 minute workout” becomes “walking into the gym.”
“Drinking 2 L of water” becomes “drinking 1 glass when you sit down at your desk.”
Remember, make it easy to start.
Craft Accountability & Community
Bi-weekly check-ins with your nutritionist will help you stay on track with your new healthy eating habits. I find my clients are more successful in the beginning months of their health plans when we check in with short appointments more frequently, instead of waiting an entire month.
If you’re looking for 1-on-1 support with a more personalized plan, click here to learn more about our practitioners.
Have a workout or meal prep buddy to meet up with weekly to help keep you accountable. Don’t want to meet up? Start a group text between a couple friends working towards the same goals where you can share meal photos, recipe ideas and any struggles you come across. There’s power in community!
If you’re looking for guidance, personalized programs and accountability as you embark on your health journey, let’s work together! Click here to book your initial visit.
Sources:
Atomic Habits by James Clear
