Why is it so challenging to actually stick to our healthy habits? We know exactly what we want to do to get and stay healthy. Maybe we have decided to follow a particular diet, run five miles every day or get 7 hours of sleep a night. Whatever it is, we are motivated and excited to get started. And then life happens and we break our commitment to ourselves. We think, “It’s no big deal, I’ll get back on track soon.”
Sometimes actually sticking to a healthy habit isn’t possible, and we do need to skip it. For example, if we injure ourselves, then running five miles a day is not smart. If we decide to go to a play that gets us home late, then we’re just not getting to bed on time that night, and that’s okay.
The Pattern
- We consistently fail to follow through with our personal commitments because it is easier or we just don’t feel like it.
- This pattern of quitting gets programmed into our subconscious and becomes a habit.
- It is easier and less stressful to do something out of habit than to do something new.
When we feel stressed about following through with a personal commitment, our body will automatically do what causes us the least stress. If quitting is our norm, then guess what, we will start thinking of all the reasons why it is okay to quit.
If you have struggled to actually stick to your healthy habits in the past, then you are likely very familiar with justifications like:
- It’s a special occasion
- Just one won’t hurt
- I’ll start again on Monday
- I am too busy
So how do we break the very frustrating habit of quitting? Try implementing one or all of my top tips to actually stick to our healthy habits.
Tip #1: Pick Sustainable Habits
Let’s say we want to eat healthier. We need to pick habits that we know we can actually stick with for at least thirty days. For example, instead of deciding to eliminate all carbs:
- Eat a salad before we eat any carbs
- Pick one carb, like chips, to eliminate
- Eliminate carbs at breakfast
Once these less challenging goals become a habit, we start to rewire our subconscious mind that we actually stick to our healthy habits. Then when we add a more challenging goal, we are more likely to be successful.
Tip #2: Track Habits
Another tip to help us actually stick to our healthy habits is to keep track of how often we follow through with our commitment. My favorite way to record and track a habit is with the free Habit Share App. You simply add whatever habit you are working on, and then each day you give yourself a green or red dot. It shows seven days, but you can also click on each individual habit and see your progress for the whole month.
It’s incredibly satisfying to see a row of green dots. When I start justifying why I don’t have to follow through with a healthy habit, I now say to myself, “Well that’s fine, but then you have to record a red dot.” It’s incredibly motivating.
Tip #3: Get Accountability
Most people benefit from outer accountability. If we tell someone that we are going to do something, then we are much more likely to actually stick to our healthy habit. That’s another great thing about the Habit Share app. As you might have guessed from the name, you can share your habit goals with friends to help keep you accountable which increases your chance of success.
While accountability is great for most people, it is helpful to know your tendency (how you respond to outer and inner expectations). If you are unfamiliar with Gretchen Rubin’s four tendencies, I encourage you to take her Four Tendencies Quiz. If you are a rebel, then outer accountability won’t work, but if you are an obliger, you need it to be successful.
While these three top tips are great to help us actually stick to our healthy habits, sometimes we need to get to the root of what is causing us to abandon our healthy habits time and time again. If you want to dive a little deeper into why it is so challenging to actually stick to our healthy habits then I encourage you to read The Key to Consistently Reach Our Healthy Eating Goals.
Hey, before you go, join the Stress-Free Eating Community. It is an awesome ‘private’ Facebook Group for women who struggle to stick to a healthy eating plan and want exclusive tips, trainings and strategies so they can tap into their brainpower versus willpower and easily choose the healthiest options for them.
Each week there is a mini-challenge to help you build smart habits, strategies to make staying on track to reaching your feel-good weight easier, #healthyfoodtastesgood recipes, accountability check-ins, and opportunities to connect and have fun.
We’re a supportive group of women who motivate and encourage each other to stick with a healthy eating plan …. and best of all it’s completely FREE!
