As many of us know the hardest thing about developing good habits is the first weeks of making healthy habits stick. Developing healthy habits isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight. More than anything it requires a strict and persistent mindset to incorporate good habits into our lifestyles.
Some habits I’m trying to incorporate into my daily routine are cutting down my coffee intake, increasing my water intake, and doing something active outdoors as soon as I wake up. As much as I love my coffee I do not love the side-effects: feeling jittery, headaches, and the infamous midday crash. Cutting down my coffee intake was a no-brainer for me. Instead of completely getting rid of it I began by serving myself less and less until I was down to a 2-3oz cup of coffee once a day. Not only do I feel energized, I feel a lot more relaxed and focused.
Increasing my water intake is another goal of mine and one I’m still striving to get better at. I don’t know what it is about the simple act of drinking more water that seems so impossible to do! But it’s really important to me to remember that I’m after a consistent improvement, not instant gains. So as long as I’m never drinking less each day I celebrate my personal achievement and try to do better the next day. Focusing on the 1% improvement has been the key to helping me reach my goal.
Early mornings are my most cherished time of the day. However, instead of spending the first 10 minutes on my phone catching up with the world, I want to do something a bit more life-giving. Doing something active outdoors like: going for a walk, running, watering my yard, picking out the weeds, have been such a powerful and satisfying habit. For once in my day I’m able to meditate, pray, hear myself think, and not be bombarded with information.
What are some good habits you want to implement into your daily routine? Remember focusing on one goal at a time is the best way to ensure a consistent, life-long habit. Most importantly, focus on what you get to enjoy rather than what you’re giving up. Behavior alteration is really an identity change.