Making the decision to stray away from societal norms and pursue a healthy and holistic lifestyle is a huge breakthrough in your life. It’s important to remember what caused you to meet your breaking point and seek a lifestyle change—as it will serve the purpose of allowing you to a) reflect on how far you’ve come and b) remain motivated and consistent with the habits you have worked to develop.
Building healthy habits is a journey, not a destination. Learning more about yourself, experimenting with what works for you, falling off track and getting back on again, celebrating small victories, and meeting milestones are all a part of the process. Enjoy this process and be proud of yourself for taking steps towards a healthier, happier, and more mindful life.
In my experience, building sustainable healthy habits is all about preparation followed by consistency. It’s important to start small and gradually build up to larger goals. What works for me may not work for all, but through trial and error, you give yourself the opportunity to build and create healthy habits that are sustainable for you and your lifestyle.
While I was always considerably “healthy” in college, I really cracked down on my health and lifestyle choices post-grad. Although I felt like I was making “healthy” choices I didn’t feel healthy. I turned my head to the symptoms I experienced for 3 years before I finally met my breaking point. I’m grateful that I was in tune with my body enough to realize that my declining health wasn’t meeting the standards of my lifestyle. Through researching, reading, and finally finding a holistic doctor to help me fill in the remaining blanks I was able to begin creating sustainable healthy habits to aid in my healing journey and enhance my everyday life.
One of the keys to success (that worked for me) was initially tracking my habits in a checklist-styled agenda. I’m not the journaling type but this held me accountable until my “habit” became a part of my everyday life. I created a checklist of daily non-negotiables and broke it down into an AM and a PM section. This allowed me to form a daily routine and feel less inclined to achieve all my non-negotiables right at the start of the day. This list made me mindfully consider my top 10 or so to-do’s (you can even start with just 5 and build up) and dedicate the appropriate amount of time and effort per day to achieve each one. It also helped me track my progress along the way!
Next, I was realistic about my current stage of life. I work in an office from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays. What’s realistic for me is not the case for all. Making the time to meet my goals and complete my daily non-negotiables was very important for me. Therefore, I held myself accountable to create a stable sleep routine that allows me to be an early riser so I can get a good start to my day and make the most of my time before work. I made sacrifices and lifestyle changes to assure (most) nights I am able to be in bed by 9:30 PM and ready to start my day by 5:30 AM. This was an adjustment for me, but I made it work.
Following my sleep routine, I also implemented meal prepping and vitamin prepping to make the most of my time in a single day. On the weeks that I am able to meal prep (which does NOT happen every week), I typically dedicate an entire Sunday to cooking, cleaning, and planning for the week ahead. This was a game-changer for me. Dedicating one day out of the week to these tasks minimized the hassle and time constraints during the rush of a busy work week. Having pre-planned and prepped meals and snacks allowed me to nourish my body with mindfully planned meals instead of grabbing on the go when hunger strikes. This has also helped me decrease food waste and consistently consume my meals on a regular time schedule—I have found this to keep my energy levels stable and my mind focused during the day. Consistency and routines are your friends!
As for vitamin prepping, I keep a full list of my up-to-date vitamin regimen. I found a vitamin case with a slot for every weekday and AM and PM sections. On a Sunday when I am prepping, I make sure to refill my vitamin case for the week ahead according to my vitamin regimen list. I am way more likely to take them consistently and on time when they are readily available to me. This task takes no more than 5 minutes and prepares my vitamins for the entire week ahead.
It’s important to find a routine that works for you and adjust your lifestyle so you are able to set yourself up for success. While these ideas may overwhelm some and underwhelm others, start with where you’re at. Choose 1-5 habits you want to build and focus on them until they become a part of your daily routine. Set achievable goals by breaking down your long-term goals into smaller, more manageable steps (this is key!) Stay open to new ideas—no single routine or habit complements every single lifestyle. Be open to adjusting your habits in a manner that best suits you. Be patient and kind to yourself. Building habits takes time and effort.
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