For some, creating healthy habits that will actually stick feels impossible, but with the right mindset and tools it can be done to maintain a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Helping people change their habits to improve their health is something I have many years of experience in. Even changing the simplest of behaviors can make a big impact on one’s health.
The problem lies when we know that changing our habits can help us feel better, but why is it still SO hard to actually make the change? In theory, habit formation is simple: repeat an action consistently and it will become automatic. Well when it comes to diet and lifestyle habit changes, many factors get in the way of success like mood, life stressors or resistance to change.
Over the years, as a Registered Dietitian/Health Coach, I have found these 4 key areas to focus on when attempting to change unhealthy habits.
- Create Awareness then get Intentional with your “Why”
- Set SMART Goals with Habit Stacking
- Be consistent (always over perfection)
- Find accountability (from others or yourself)
1 - Create Awareness then Get Intentional with your “Why”
Your current behaviors are a reflection of your current reality and even identity. To change habits, you need to start believing new things about yourself. Getting very clear on the person you are and also visualizing who you want to become is very important to jumpstart this process for success. This typically results in aspiring for small wins to become that person. Then get intentional with making changes by asking yourself everyday, “what can I do today to align with my future self?” I recommend getting a small dry erase board (or even a post it note) to note your response for a friendly reminder. Understanding the motivations enhances commitment and can serve as a powerful driving force!
2 - Set SMART Goals with Habit Stacking
Setting SMART goals by building on existing healthy habits makes a world of a difference when working toward a specific behavior change. According to the American Psychological Association, people who set goals that are both “stepwise and specific are 90% more likely to succeed”. The framework commonly used are SMART goals, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relatable and Timely. SMART goals are best to set on a weekly-basis to build upon to reach your overarching goal. For instance, if your goal is to lose 20 pounds before a big event in 6 months. What do you want to focus on first? Exercise? Diet? Stress Management? I always recommend choosing the “lowest hanging fruit”, so they can get quick wins for motivation. For example, walk for 10 minutes after lunch 3 days a week for the next month, then gradually move up to 5 days a week for 15 minutes.
Habits require stable context cues to become a routine, so adding a new habit to a pre-existing habit can be helpful. For example, setting a goal to drink 1 glass of water before your existing habit of drinking your morning cup of coffee. This will then become a built-in cue that reminds you to drink a glass of water. Even better put a glass next to your coffee machine as a friendly reminder! Or start to stack on a 10-minute meditation routine after a 20-minute lunch yoga session daily. Correlation of the 2 habits is key to creating sustainability.
It is so easy to overestimate the importance of one defining moment and underestimate the value of making small improvements on a daily-basis. Over time the tiny improvements add up. Atomic Habits by James Clear is a great resource to reference to learn about the idea “Focus on getting 1 percent better every day.” Give it a read – it’s a goodie!
3 - Be consistent (always over perfection)
Amidst setting healthy goals, life happens – vacations, parties, or dinner out with friends. True success will be measured by engaging in these activities, while remaining consistent with goals. Research has shown that it can take anywhere from 15-254 days to truly form a new habit, so while repetition is key, so is being flexible when you need to be! The grace given to oneself during these times is just as pivotal. Hopping right back on your healthy pattern the next day helps with long-term success.
If someone is losing motivation to keep up with their healthy habit, it is important for them to create awareness surrounding the resistance by writing down why. Ideally, this will help with mind-body connection, which is truly remarkable when handling behavior change. The goal is to not revert back to old habits during times of stress or after the initial motivation dips. This brings me to my next point….accountability.
4 - Find accountability (from others or yourself)
Having a cheerleader (or strategic partner aka health coach) in your corner rooting for you creates accountability, which in turn increases the chances of sticking to a goal. Finding a community of like-minded people, finding support in a family member, friend, coach or therapist can make the world of a difference! When you are accountable to someone or a group of people, this will likely fuel your desire to meet your goals and build a new healthy habit.
Some people find value in “self-accountability” to reinforce daily habits through the use of an app or a wearable device to stay committed. The key is to find accountability in whatever works for you!
FINAL THOUGHTS
In conclusion, In my opinion, “you can teach an old dog new tricks.” It just takes awareness, consistency, and specific goals with intentions to create the space for patients to make sustainable changes that lead to life-long healthy habits that actually matter to THEM.
This article is for general informational purposes only and not intended for medical intervention.
Amy is a Functional Medicine Registered Dietitian (RDN), as well as a Nutrition & Wellness Communications Consultant with many years of marketing experience and her Master of Public Health degree (MPH). She is passionate about transforming our broken healthcare system and getting to the root cause of symptoms not putting bandaids on them.