Lockdown was the perfect time to establish good habits. We were all staying at home with lots of spare time and energy to match. Some took up creative hobbies: baking, gardening and art. Others upped their skillsets that would benefit them in everyday life: cooking, learning languages and reading. Many took fitness and exercise more seriously, doing yoga, at-home workouts or getting out in the fresh air, going for long walks and hikes. But as life slowly returns to normal, how do we keep our good habits in place? Today’s post advises on how to do just that with 5 handy tips.
Start small.
You don’t have to go cold turkey or hit level 100 full throttle! Even if you spend 10 – 30 minutes at it per day, that’s enough. If you can commit to doing something for just 10 minutes, you’ll often find that you’ll do even more without even realising it. Write up a daily to-do list and physically create the time for your activity, whatever it is.
Tell someone about your plans.
It’s almost like speaking it into existence is a commitment in itself – now that it’s out there in the world, you almost feel obligated to see it through. In a good way, of course! You can also include others in your good habits and hobbies – sometimes, all you need is a buddy. You can motivate each other!
Don’t think about it as a chore.
This is the worst way to look at your new habits, as you’ll learn to dread facing them. Instead, try to see it as an established part of your routine. If there’s one thing about humans, we don’t like change all that much – but if we look at things as simply part of the everyday, it becomes less intimidating and easier to do.
Celebrate the small wins.
Let’s say you’ve decided to go for a walk first thing every morning. The first few days go really well, but as the weekend creeps closer, you find yourself craving more of a lie-in instead. Regardless – if you get out 3 or 4 mornings out of 7, it’s by no means a failure, but rather an achievement that’s worth celebrating. Give yourself a pat on the back and don’t forget, you can always try again tomorrow.
Make the decision to commit.
The incentive might not always be there, but your willpower is. Even when you’re not feeling it, motivation has left the building and you’d rather do anything else – you can still make it happen. It’s all down to you and your mind – and we promise you’ll feel better for it when it’s done! It’s often said that it takes a mere 18 days to create a new habit – less then 3 weeks. Challenge accepted!
Until next time,
The Front Row team x
