A healthy lifestyle is an accumulation of small actions that add up to vitality and longevity. Sometimes we know what changes we need to make in our lives but have a hard time getting around to doing them. And sometimes we know we need changes but aren’t clear about what to do. These tips from a professional psychotherapist will help you clarify goals, stop procrastinating, and start thriving.
Step 1: Specify your goals
“You can’t heal what you don’t acknowledge,” says Elenora Molnar, master therapeutic counselor.
Step 2: Reflect on the goal
It’s helpful to understand why you developed the unhealthy habit in the first place, so you can replace it with a healthier habit that fulfills the same need, says Molnar. If your mornings are hectic because you look at your phone for an hour before getting out of bed, it may be because you want to delay the start of the day without having to think or problem-solve.
“Make a plan to start off your day without looking at your phone for one hour,” suggests Molnar. Instead of looking at social media, replace that time with a quick yoga video or walk around the neighbourhood. This gets your body active, while also letting your mind rest and gear up for the day.
You may want to try a digital detox. Set some firm boundaries around screen time, consider deleting certain apps from your phone, or take a break from social media for a designated amount of time.
Replace a bad habit with a good one
“Start overriding your bad habits with new routines,” suggests Molnar. For example, if you want to start jogging, overwrite being sedentary in the evening by taking an easy jog at the same time you would usually be sitting down.
If you’re trying to stop eating junk food at night, instead of turning on the TV, work on a puzzle, read a book, or do any activity that you don’t associate with snacking. Start with small steps that slowly become your new habits.
Be flexible
It’s great to have ambitious goals, but if you’re unrealistic at the beginning, you’ll have trouble meeting them. This can cause you to give up completely. “It’s great to have goals, but give yourself permission to say that goals can change. Always have a plan, but know you can change your plan,” says Molnar.
Step 3: Find a support group
Experts say that one of the surest ways to keep with your physical or mental health goals is to find a support group of likeminded people looking to accomplish similar goals.
Explains Molnar, “When you’re in a group where everyone is focused on the same thing, it’s really powerful because you can be compassionately witnessed by those people. I’m thinking of therapy, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be therapy. It could be a running group or a gardening group.”
By Stephanie MacDonald