Replicate Good Habits, Not Bad Ones

Indulging into cravings is really no big deal every once in awhile, and it can actually help lift your mood. However, a pattern of unhealthy habits can make your body and mind create feelings of expectations each day, as if you owe it to yourself to make unhealthy decisions.

Fortunately, these habits are changeable and can be overpowered by new behaviors, but understanding how your habits work is the first step in transforming your health.

Identify Your Habit:

Whether its having one too many fries, cookies, drinks, cigarettes, etc., identify your unhealthy habit so you can confront it. Your habit is most likely caused by a trigger and there are many triggers that we encounter each day that can significantly effect whether or not we make an unhealthy decisions, so pay attention to your environmental, social, emotional, and mental triggers. (see triggers here)

Experiment With Rewards:

Rewards are the feelings you want to gain from your habit (comfort, relief, etc.), but your habits may not always give you the “reward” you were hoping for. So by relying on another glass of wine/cigarette to satisfy your feeling… you may notice you feel the same or even worse. So to determine what your mind/body is actually craving, think about what you are trying to satisfy when you make that unhealthy decision. 

Grab a notecard and write down the first 3 words that describe your pre-habitual feeling and then 3 more words that describe the feeling/reward you want to gain from your habit.

Then list healthier options that you know are designed to satisfy these feelings and will give you the reward you are looking for.

Healthy Ex. bowl of fruit, walk around the block, Epsom salt bath, cup of tea, favorite book/puzzle

If you experiment with trying the different healthier habits you listed to satisfy this feeling, you should notice more success and be able to effectively satisfy the feeling the next time it pops up!

Have A Plan, And stick to it:

Develop a plan and have that list of all of your favorite healthy habits that satisfy the triggers/feelings you experience each day. If you notice that one of your healthier habits is no longer satisfying your feelings, try a different one! Do some research and find what works for because overall it will significantly improve your health in the long-run.