How to Create Healthier Habits
Habits can be easy to form, but harder to change.
Feeding unhealthy habits - and staying in our comfort zone - is one of the reasons we don’t reach our goals.
We all know anything worth having often doesn’t come easily.
So, to get more out of life, you need to be ready to push yourself.
It's never too late to prioritize your health and wellbeing. Let’s get started on building healthy habits that’ll bring you closer to your goals.
Check out our top ten tips for creating healthier habits
1. Start Small
Although it's tempting to jump in at the deep end with a New Year health kick, it’s important to pace yourself.
Try not to make too many changes at once, as this can be overwhelming and may lead to burnout.
Instead, focus on making one or two healthy changes at a time, and gradually add more as you become comfortable with your new habits.
Sometimes the hardest thing about trying something new is starting, so just get started.
2. Be Consistent
When it comes to forming any new habit, consistency is key.
The aim is to work a new behaviour into your routine until it becomes automatic.
At this time of year, we often look to hit the reset button after overindulging during the holidays.
That’s why many people make New Year resolutions and follow ideas like Dry January.
But we often drop these fads within the first month and fall back into bad habits.
Reaching your goals takes discipline, so try not to be derailed by every trending detox.
Dry January may work for some people, but giving up alcohol for a month isn’t going to change your life in the long run.
A one-off detox is not something that’s sustainable, meaning it won’t continue to benefit your health on a regular basis.
It’s much better to have a long term goal like reducing your alcohol intake from 4 glasses of wine a week to 1.
This type of goal is something that can be sustained on a weekly basis rather than never drinking again, which might be unrealistic.
As with most things in life, seeing results requires dedication and consistency.
Although STAIT Supplement has been formulated to support your overall health and wellbeing, it isn’t just a quick fix.
If you take our supplement every day, you’ll soon notice you feel stronger, more energetic and more vital, giving you ample opportunity to replace your bad habits with good ones.
To get the results you crave, you need to put in the work and keep up the consistency.
3. Set Yourself Realistic Goals
We’re all guilty of being overly ambitious sometimes, and that can be a good thing.
But, one of the main reasons we fail is because we set ourselves goals that aren’t achievable.
There’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but to succeed, you’ll need to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals (aka SMART goals).
This will make it much easier for you to track your progress and work towards it.
Sticking to healthy habits is much easier when you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there.
Take some time to think about your goals and create a plan that outlines the specific steps you need to take to achieve them.
Sometimes, mustering the motivation to achieve your goals can be difficult, so STAIT Supplement has been designed to give you an edge.
4. Break Bad Habits
To make a significant change to your daily routine and break bad habits, you first need to understand how a habit is formed.
Habits develop with a cue, a routine and a reward.
For example, if you sleep in late every day, this is how the habit would be formed:
Cue = alarm clock goes off
Routine = snooze the alarm
Reward = getting a lie in
This formula is repeated over and over again until it becomes an everyday occurrence.
To change this practice, you need to go back and revise this formula from the start.
So, using sleeping in as an example, let’s say you want to break this bad habit and get up early and go to the gym instead.
Your cue stays the same and the alarm clock goes off.
But, instead of snoozing your alarm clock, you force yourself to get up and go for a walk or to the gym (this is your routine).
Finally, your reward is that you feel more energised for the day.
The trick is to repeat this every day even if it feels uncomfortable or difficult.
Eventually, this new routine will feel easy and normal, and that’s when you know you’ve replaced your bad habit with a good one.
Shaun Kober, Performance & Mindset Coach for UFC World Champions, has integrated STAIT Supplement into his morning routine.
Having a routine that you stick to is crucial for maintaining healthy habits:
5. Rest Up
We all know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep.
Without substantial rest, our minds and bodies don’t function as well as they should.
Changing your routine and breaking bad habits can often have a significant impact on your life.
Although introducing healthy habits is a positive thing long term, in the short term, it can be a shock to the system.
This is because your body has to adapt to the changes you’re making, whether that’s getting up at 6am and hitting the gym or including more greens in your meals.
You need to give your body time to adjust, and without sleep, you will find the process far more draining.
If you’re someone who struggles with sleep, our STAIT Herbal Tea for Sleep helps calm the body and mind, promoting longer, deeper sleep.
If you’re trying to make changes to your lifestyle this year, give yourself the energy you need by getting some good quality sleep.
6. Drink More Water
This might seem like an obvious one, but we often forget about the power of water.
It is vital to keep yourself hydrated, especially if you’re in the process of forming new, healthy habits.
On top of enhancing your physical and cognitive performance, water intake also helps you focus, boosts energy levels, and reduces anxiety and fatigue.
When you’re trying to change your lifestyle, you need the concentration and drive to overcome challenges.
By drinking between 6 and 8 glasses of water every day, you’re setting yourself up for success and making it easier to make a long lasting change.
Another way to boost your energy levels is to drink STAIT Superfood which has been formulated with a range of organic plant extracts and adaptogens to help you feel your best every day.
7. Track More Progress
Changing your habits and behaviours is no easy task.
It's a long, difficult process which requires ongoing commitment and determination.
That’s why keeping a record of your progress can help keep you on track.
Whether it's through a journal, a spreadsheet, or a simple check mark system, you’ll find this boosts motivation and gives you a sense of achievement.
It's also a great way to see how far you've come and identify areas where you might need to make additional changes.
8. Connect with Like-Minded People
Another top tip is to find an individual or group who can motivate you on your health journey.
It can be easier to stick to healthy habits when you have the support of others.
You could ask a friend to get involved or look for local groups and online communities who share your goals.
Once you’ve found a support network, ask them to act as your accountability partner.
This will help you stay on the right track as well as giving you advice and comfort if you’re struggling.
9. Reward Yourself
When you’re working towards a personal target, seeing results can take time.
Some rewards are immediate, like the glow you get after a morning run, but others take a little longer to materialise. For example, weight loss can take months to really see and feel the difference.
That’s why it’s a good idea to build small rewards into your new routine.
If one of your goals is to go to the gym in the morning, you could treat yourself to breakfast at your favourite café on the weekend..
This will allow you to make positive associations with your healthy habits, further helping to embed them into your daily routine.
Rewards are a major part of changing your lifestyle because they help you enjoy the things you don’t look forward to.
With constant positive reinforcement, all your bad habits will fall away and you’ll soon be left with a healthy routine which feels completely normal to you and something that you do end up looking forward to.
10. Push Yourself Through Setbacks
Lastly, Don't be too hard on yourself.
It's okay to slip up or have an off day every now and again.
Don't let setbacks discourage you. Instead, focus on getting back on track and continuing to work towards your goals.
It's not about the mistakes you make, but how you pick yourself back up afterwards.
Remember, the key to creating healthy habits is to be consistent and patient.
It may take time to see progress, but with discipline and dedication, you can create lasting changes that will benefit your health and wellbeing going forward.
If you’re hoping to make some positive changes in your life, get STAIT Supplement and perform at your best.
Stait provides superior products as well as education support and help for everyone in the Stait community.