ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – According to a Forbes article, 50 percent of people make New Year’s resolutions, and 80 percent of them have already broken it by February. If you have broken yours, there are still seven months left to accomplish it. If you’re not sure where you went wrong, here are some tips on how to build and maintain a healthy habit.
Do you have a habit? Some of the common habits people try to achieve are to lose weight, quit smoking, and save money. Maybe it’s time to rethink how to achieve these long-term goals.
Try stacking and starting small. When you stack a habit, you are adding the habit to a task you already do. For example, when sitting down to watch tv, do a couple of squats or lunges. That way, you’re adding your healthy habit to an existing one. As for starting small, it’s better to start that way because the habit is more realistic and you’re more likely to carry on with it. The average time it takes for a habit to become automatic is 66 days. If you set a certain time to do the habit, like walking outside always before dinnertime, you will make time for it in your daily routine. In the end, if your habit takes a long period of time, be sure to reward yourself periodically. You are bettering yourself and the healthy habits you are instilling are a huge accomplishment.
A helpful tactic is to have someone on the same path as you. They can hold you accountable, as you should do for them. It would help if it’s someone you see often, like a family member or colleague. Also, if you miss a day here or there, no big deal. Just pick up where you left off. But experts say the first days seem to make the biggest difference, so try to keep on track for the first week.
Sources:
https://jamesclear.com/new-habit
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/18/well/mind/how-to-build-healthy-habits.html
https://www.uabmedicine.org/-/10-secrets-of-people-who-keep-their-new-year-s-resolutions
Contributor(s) to this news report include: Addlyn Teague, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.
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