Make it unsatisfying: I will spend 15 minutes in the morning and evening engaging with the accounts of people I care about or feel inspired by. Make it satisfying: I will cut up the fruit because I find that enjoyable. Make it hard: I will put my phone in a drawer, which will reduce the likelihood of me grabbing it to jump onto social media whenever I see it. Make it easy: I will choose the fruit or vegetable that will satisfy me most each time I eat. Make it unattractive: I will make a list of the ways social media distracts me and interferes in my day, so I can easily recognize my motivation to stop.
I will place the fruit in a bowl where it is visible and portion out the veggies into containers in my fridge. I will shop for produce on Sundays and Thursdays. I will turn off all social media notifications on my phone and computer. Stop a negative habit: Spend less time on social mediaĮvery time I eat a meal or snack, I will be cued to include a fruit or vegetable. Start a positive change: Eat more fruits and vegetables Then fill out how you can work toward building your new habit. ⦁ the reward Copy the following chart in your journal or other visible place. Once you have a realistic intention, break down how you will build this healthy habit by looking at the four parts of habit change: Stop this habit: To reduce social media use, starting Monday, I will spend only 30 minutes per day on social media, 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes before 9 pm, and I will turn off notifications. Start this habit: Starting Monday, I will eat a fruit or vegetable with each meal and snack. If you have trouble with this part, it can be helpful to ask yourself what, where, when, and how questions, such as, If I were a healthy eater, what is one thing I would be doing that I am not doing now? and If I didn’t let social media distract me from other important things, how would I change my patterns of using it? Using a journal, write an intention for each habit change. Stop this habit: I want to stop spending so much time on social media, because I want to become a person who does not allow social media to interfere in other parts of my life. Start this habit: I want to become a healthier eater. Identify the kind of person you want to be. Change is possible when we know where we are and where we want to go. Rather than jumping ahead to set goals or to visualize yourself having already made these changes, begin by noticing the story you tell yourself about who you are and who you want to be. Stop this habit: Stop spending so much time on social media. Start this habit: Start eating more fruits and vegetables. Once you have a complete list of what you do and don’t do, make a notation next to each habit, characterizing it as positive, neutral, or negative. Write down any habits that you do regularly, along with those that are missing from your daily routine. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, offers a stepwise, evidence-based process for letting go of what no longer serves you and grabbing hold of a healthy habit that can lift you up. Take a broad look at how you’re living now, and ask yourself, Does this behavior help me become the kind of person I want to be?
Is there a change you know you should be making? When it comes to intentional living, take time to pause to ask yourself:Īfter all, curiosity can motivate you to keep going or it can alert you that it’s time to pivot.
Quit all bad habits at once series#
In this first part of my two-part series on cultivating the healthy, intentional living habits of your choice, you’ll be prompted to consider adopting strategies that have proven results. Whether you want to stop doing something that no longer serves you, or get started with a new and more helpful routine, you can make lasting change. Or perhaps you want to exercise more often. What are your current habit-change challenges? Maybe you want to stop snacking after dinnertime. If you’re like most people, some have never really stuck. And many of us have tried starting new habits. Most of us have fallen into negative habits at one time or another. “Nothing is more desirable than to be released from an affliction, but nothing is more frightening than to be divested of a crutch.” -James BaldwinĮven when we intellectually know that a relationship is toxic or a habit is taking us in the wrong direction, it can be difficult to let go.
0 kommentar(er)
