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Living a healthy lifestyle can be easier said than done. People may have great intentions, but often struggle to keep up with the routines and habit changes necessary for living a healthier lifestyle. Fortunately, there are many strategies that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes.
Focus on Behaviour Change
The most important factor in making lifestyle changes stick is focusing on behaviour change. This begins with setting achievable goals. Do your best to be realistic and start small. As you reach each goal, slowly build up new goals until you are on the track to a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, rewards can be a great motivator, such as celebrating reaching smaller goals or treating yourself to something special when you reach a higher goal.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead is also important to making lifestyle changes stick. Set out a schedule, such as exercising twice a week, and stick to it. Having small check-ins along the way to gauge your progress can be helpful. That way, if you are having difficulty meeting a goal, you can problem solve and find alternate solutions.
Explore Habits
Identifying unhealthy habits that you want to replace with healthier habits is also key. Maybe it’s replacing snacking with exercise or trading in soda for water. It can be helpful to write down your bad habits in order to make yourself conscious of them.
Establish Support
Having the support of family and friends or even a health or fitness group can be an effective way of making lifestyle changes stick. Having someone there to cheer you on and hold you accountable is helpful in moments of doubt and times of difficulty.
Be Mindful
Finally, being mindful of your goals and the progress you have made can help motivate you along the way. It can also help you to recognize when you may have strayed from your goals so you can make adjustments and get back on track.
Making lifestyle changes can seem daunting but it doesn’t have to be. Keep these strategies in mind and you will be sure to have success and experience improved health in no time. Lifestyle changes, behaviour change, health, success, support, planning, habits, mindful, goals.
