We are creatures of habit. And the habits we create can work in our favor or against. While we cannot do much about the unconscious habits we have created, we can certainly choose to create new ones that serve us in the long run.
"If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection.” - James clear (Atomic habits)
I have been doing the exercise of “habit stacking” with my students wherein I ask them to choose one healthy lifestyle goal in the area of nutrition, exercise, sleep or stress, to focus on, each month. Through repetition and conscious intention the habits get formed. While some habits are easy to adopt, certain others are more challenging and take longer ( depending on past conditioning and life circumstances ). But once ingrained, they begin contributing to better long term health.
In this post, I will:
A. Share the experience of one of my students, Manjusha with habit stacking
B. Give you guidelines for setting your own healthy lifestyle goal
C. Discuss pitfalls with goal setting
D. Share some ideas for a healthy lifestyle goal that you can set for yourself
Student experience with Habit Stacking :
Manjusha has been training with me since the last four years. A mother of two, I have seen her grow strong physically, mentally as well as emotionally.
Here is an account, in her own words, of the habits she has stacked and the results she is experiencing :
"I have managed to ingrain several healthy lifestyle habits into my life by working on them one at a time. Each month, I choose one simple goal to focus on & make it a habit. Here they are:
1. Increased Water intake : I drink at least 2 l of water everyday. I even have a designated 2 l bottle that I fill in the morning and ensure that it is emptied by evening.
2. Fruits: Earlier, I rarely used to take fruits. Now fruits have become a part of my daily diet.
3. Reduced anger: Now I am able to manage anger triggers better with conscious breathing exercise.
4. More active hours: I watch my steps and achieve 8-10K steps everyday
5. More vegetables: I have consciously increased vegetables while having rice
6. Daily exercise
7. Dinner by 7:30 pm
As a result of all these habits I feel I have increased stamina , good and sustainable food habits, more active lifestyle. This has increased my confidence level, I have begun to love & appreciate myself more & have more happy thoughts." - Manjusha Vinay.
What does this mean for you?
You too can start building healthy lifestyle habits that will improve your health and put you on the right path to well being. Starting today.
“Each day we are born again. What we do today is what matters the most.”
- Buddha
Just pick one goal in the area of nutrition or hydration or sleep or stress to focus on.
Some guidelines for Goal setting:
A. Make the goal a SMART one: SMART is an abbreviation for
S : Specific
M : Measurable
A : Attainable
R : Relevant
T : Time bound
Make sure you define your goal clearly. Instead of setting a goal such as, "I want to drink more water", or "eat more vegetables", reframe it to something more specific such as" I will drink 2 l of water per day" or "eat 2 cups of vegetables per day”. Be as specific as possible.
B. Create prompts to keep the focus : If your goal is to drink 2 l of water a day, then make sure you have a system where you fill up the bottle of water and place it where you can see. Or set a hourly reminder to drink a glass of water. Use any prompt that works for you.
Pitfalls to avoid :
A. Trying to achieve too much too soon: Instead of multiple goals, stick to one, to give your complete attention. Sometimes I have students who would set multiple goals such as :
I want to exercise 5 days a week.
Achieve 10 k steps a day.
Drink 2 l water.
Often this would result in an inability to adopt any one habit properly. So stick to just one.
B. Being too ambitious : Setting a goal for 10K steps when you can barely meet 3K steps a day. This is a sure short recipe for frustration. Instead set attainable goals. Increasing your step count by 500-1000 steps over your current count, is more reasonable & attainable.
C. Not creating prompts : Not having prompts can make you forget the goal you have set. By all means, take your time to choose a meaningful goal. But once done, put all your consciousness into the action steps necessary to make it a habit.
Ideas for "healthy lifestyle goals" :
Here are some ideas for goals that you can choose from in the different areas of nutrition, hydration, sleep and stress management.
Nutrition :
A. Eat 2 cups of vegetables a day
B. Include protein in every meal
C. Kick start the day with a fruit
D. Have a protein snack 3 days in a week
E. Include green leafy vegetables twice a week
F. Create balanced meal plates, for 2 meals out of 3, 5 days a week
G. Have whole grains in 2 meals out of 3, 3 days a week
Hydration :
A. Drink 2 l of water a day
B. Kick-start the day with a glass of water
C. Drink a glass of water half hour before meals
Sleep:
A. Get 8 hours of sleep each day
B. Go to bed by 10 pm
C. Have a 10 minute bedtime routine all 7 days/week
Stress management:
A. 10 minute Breathwork practice 5 days/week
B. Meditate for 5 minutes, all 7 days/week
C. Journal 3 things to be grateful for 5 days/ week
D. Devote 30 minutes to yourself each day to do what you like
E. Spend 15 minutes in nature 5 days/week
These are just some ideas. I am sure you can think of many more. Just choose what feels most relevant for you and aligns with your values 🙂
I hope this post inspires you to kick-start the practice of habit stacking for long term well being. Do let me know in comments or drop me a mail to discuss your journey or ideas in regard to this topic. I would love to hear and learn from you 💕
Lovely article Purnima
Beautiful Article dear