Next to work, family, love life, and other daily obligations, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain a healthy routine. If we need more time to do something, we’re more likely to sacrifice our daily walk than our TV show. However, even though your time might be limited, your options are not – you only need to set your priorities. With that in mind, here are a few tips that should help you make some changes that’ll stick.
Start small
The key to making big changes is starting small. You don’t need to change your entire routine overnight for it to make a difference. On the contrary, the motivation you need in order to make big changes overnight can make that whole task pretty much impossible. On the other hand, when you set smaller, more achievable goals, you’re more likely to actually reach them. And by increasing the difficulty by just a tiny bit every day, those smaller goals will lead you to your big goal sooner or later. Therefore, you don’t need to run for an hour right away – you can start by running for five minutes. You don’t need to eat a salad every day – you can start with once or twice a week. This way, it’ll also be easier for you to track your progress.
Make it fun
Don’t do something just because you think you should. You don’t have to go running if you hate running, and you don’t have to go to the gym to get in shape. There are plenty of different ways of getting fit, you just need to find the one that suits you. Besides, if you force yourself to do something you don’t really want to, doing it will become harder and harder until you simply give up completely. So, think about what you’d enjoy. Maybe you would like to learn dancing, or maybe there’s a sport that you’d find fun. Maybe you like exploring, and cycling would be perfect for you. You can also mix things up and try something new. Either way, choose something that you find fun, and you’re more likely to stick with it.
Add some supplements
Sometimes, changing your diet drastically can be impossible. But sometimes, your own diet might also be pretty bad, and you need to make some bigger changes in order to improve your health. A good way to start slow is to introduce some supplements to your diet. For example, if you live in the Land Down Under, you can find good supplements from Australian Sports Nutrition. This way, your body would be getting all the nutrients it needs, and you could slowly start introducing healthier foods while reducing the unhealthy meals.
Try the 80/20 principle
Having the 80/20 mindset can be helpful when trying to change your lifestyle. The basic idea is that if 80% of your meals are healthy, 20% can be a bit less healthy. Or, if you work out most of the week, you can take a break for a day or two. You can make your own schedule depending on your free time. For example, you can choose to work for three days and then take a day off. Just try not to combine your rest and cheat days. Working out on the day you’ve cheated can make you feel better about yourself, and eating well on your rest day can increase the benefits of your rest.
Go easy on yourself
It’s easy to start judging yourself if you don’t reach your goals as fast as you’ve planned, but there’s really no need and no point in doing so. You are not lazy, and having a hard time changing your lifestyle is not something that defines you. All changes are difficult, which is why it’s very important not to be too hard on yourself. Of course, you can feel unmotivated or stuck, but again, that’s not who you are. It’s just a temporary feeling that will pass if you don’t give up.
Know your reasons
Giving up is easy when things get hard. This is why in order for you to stay motivated and go through rough patches more successfully, you need to know your reasons. It doesn’t really matter what they are, as long as they are important to you. So, do you want to set a good example for your kids or grandkids? Do you want to improve your stamina so you can travel more? Or, do you want to improve your appearance so you can be more confident? All the listed reasons are equally valid. Write down yours, keep them near you, and when the going gets tough, remind yourself why you’re doing this.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is not easy, but it’s still easier than most people think. All it takes is good organization, some motivation, and a few lifestyle changes. So, if you could use some tips on how to introduce healthier habits into your life and stick to them, follow the listed suggestions, and you’ll be on the right track.