How to Build Healthy Habits
Photo by Marques Jackson Photography. Mural by Eduardo Kobra in NYC.
Healthy Habits Can Pave the Way to a Better Life
Have you heard the famous saying that it takes 21 days to form a new habit?
Well, I have some interesting news: it's a myth! This idea came from Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon who, in the 1950s, started to notice that his patients would only really notice the changes from their surgeries 21 days post-op. Maltz also began to notice other habits and other new activities that he invited into his life would become easier after a minimum of 21 days. He went on to author a best-selling book in the 1960s that removed the “minimum,” and suddenly – BAM! The self-help world took hold of this and the promising idea that their life can be changed in just three weeks. So, what’s the actual truth about healthy habit-building?
How Long it Really Takes to Build Healthy Habits
The truth of the matter is that when it comes to building new habits, it is a very individual experience and will be different for every single person. Some extremely dedicated and determined folks can start new, healthy habits and stick to them in just 21 days (kudos to you!), but the science says it takes anywhere between 18 days to 264 days – with the average time frame being 66 days, or just over two months, to form new habits.
However, the research on 66 days was predominately for “easier” habits, and habits considered autopilot ones, like putting on a seat belt, whereas more complicated habits can take up to 8.5 months to stick to.
Don’t let this make you nervous – it is worth the dedication and time put in - new healthy habits are always worth the effort.
How to Develop New Habits
To get started on the process of developing new habits, you will need to spend some time reflecting on what it is you want to improve on, remove, or add to your life. For some people, it might be glaringly obvious what needs to be done, but not for everyone.
If you fall into the latter group, start by grabbing a pen and paper and write down a standard day in your life. Get detailed and be honest with yourself. Do you check your phone first thing in the morning? Write that down. Do you drive to work? Write that down.
After your write down a typical day (if you don’t have a typical day, just write what you did yesterday) and next to each activity write a D or N. “D” stands for a depleting activity or something that drains you of your energy or is maybe a little mindless, whereas “N” stands for nourishing activity, so something that brings you great joy, growth, or new skills. Some might be both, like work. This is an amazing reflective practice to invite awareness and mindfulness about what you could do with more of in your day – or less of.
Once you’ve narrowed down what it is that you want to focus on, get specific. For example, if you want to drink more water daily, give it a number: I will drink 1 gallon of water every day. If you want to walk more, make a challenge of walking 100 km/62 miles this month. If you want to learn the violin, make a 15-minute practice slot 4 times per week. Want to spend more time connecting to your creative side? Try doing your activity, like painting, every Sunday from 1-2 pm to get started. Finance tracking is a popular healthy habit to build, which you could do by setting aside 2 hours every month to sit down and review your budget.
When creating your goals, be realistic. Consider your schedule responsivities, and lifestyle as you can always build on your new habit later, but it's less motivating to take away from them. The more realistic they are to start, the more likely you are to achieve them.
If you are working to break something less healthy, note that pleasure-based habits can be challenging to break, because enjoyable behavior prompts your brain to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter in your brain that associates this with pleasure or reward. Whatever it is, it will take plenty of patience, time, self-disciple, and, of course, commitment.
If you struggle with habit building, you can try new habits that are under two minutes, such as reading one page of a book a day, doing 2 push-ups, making your bed each morning, texting someone you love, putting the dishes away, etc. This can help to transform the way you look at habits and perhaps invigorates you to try something that takes 5 minutes, and so on. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to add a healthy habit in your life.
How to Maintain Healthy Habits
Here are a few useful tricks to help maintain your new healthy habits:
Schedule them: Put reminders on your phone, write them in your calendar – both personal and work – and set an alarm. Without scheduling and prompts, you may just resort to being “too tired,” “too busy,” or any other excuse to not see it through. Many people find the mornings or right before bed a time they are very motivated.
Support System: A support system can do wonders for your habit maintenance, as this will not only cheer you on and encourage you but also be there to hold you accountable on days that you may be unmotivated. You could ask a good friend, a partner, a family member, or a co-worker to support you.
Habit tracking: If you are more of a tech person, there are plenty of habit tracker apps that you can go in and cross of something you did that day, or else you can do it in your journal or physical calendar. Tracking your habit is an incredible motivator and helps with feeling proud as you can see instant changes and results.
Swap: When it comes to habits, you don’t have to stop something cold turkey, and it might be easier for you and your brain to swap for something healthier or with more nutrition. An example of this could be, if you are trying to stop drinking soda, you could opt for sparkling water instead.
Temptation bundling: We all have shoulds and wants in our life. Temptation bundling attempts to put them together – for example, you only watch your favorite show while on the treadmill or rowing machine or you will only listen to your favorite podcast while cleaning your house. It helps add a little bit of pleasure to your goals.
Reward yourself: After sticking to something, especially something very challenging, reward yourself with something special. If you have been upping your exercise habits, perhaps treat yourself to a massage, a spa day, or head to a sauna/hot tub. You can also reward yourself with ordering takeaway for dinner, getting a babysitter for the night, having a bath, volunteering, getting fitted for new running shoes, etc. Check out our self-care tips for more ideas. Get creative and make sure it's something that will make you happy.
Show Yourself Compassion
It's a great feat that you have recognized you can lead a more fulfilling and healthier life by adding new habits into your day. When you invite change into your life, there will be some resistance, bumps in the road, and natural ups and downs. If you are unable to follow your new habits exactly, be easy on yourself and try your best to recalibrate and go the step further by digging deep to understand what the trigger or reason is. Sometimes, there is no exact reason except that you are human and that is perfectly okay! Do your best – it's all you can do.
Related Posts: How to Make a Self-Care Plan, How to Beat a Running Slump, 10 Self-Care Tips for Runners, Improve Your Running with Goal Setting, 10 Tips to Stick to Your Workout Goals, Improve Your Running with Goal Setting
Marissa Del Mistro is a writer, editor, and always on the hunt for the perfect workout. Marissa absolutely loves trail running, dancing, and cycling. When she’s not writing, Marissa loves cooking, podcasts, traveling, and exploring her home in the beautiful unceded Coast Salish Territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ nations.
