How To Create Healthy Habits That Will Actually Stick
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2 months ago
Science-backed tips
They say it takes 21 days to make a habit. Yet creating a new ritual is notoriously difficult, particularly when it comes to our health. Whether it’s vowing to exercise three times a week, eat a nutritious breakfast each morning or meditate before bed, we all set goals with the best intentions, but often end up falling at the first hurdle and going back to our old ways. So how do we create habits that will actually last?
We asked the experts at Simple, a weight loss and health coaching app, to share their advice on creating healthy habits. Designed to support people in sustainable, safe weight loss, the app pairs habit tracking tools with proactive guidance from individual AI coaches – ultimately giving users the tools to transform their health.
Tips For Creating Long-Lasting Healthy Habits
Be Aware Of Your Current Habits
‘First thing’s first: you need to have a good understanding of your current habits,’ the experts at Simple App advise. If you’re trying to create new habits surrounding diet and/or exercise, the team suggests noting down what you eat throughout the day, including the timings, plus how much activity you’re doing.
Identify Where Changes Are Needed
You can then use this data to recognise negative patterns and space where you could improve. That could be upping your protein intake, drinking more water, or simply trying to move more by adding a couple of walks into your daily routine. The Simple app is particularly handy here, as it offers a daily recap on the previous day’s habits, as well as nutritional overviews of meals and what you may need more or less of.
Be specific: studies like this one published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology have shown goals like ‘meditate regularly’ are doomed for failure. Instead, include exactly when and how often you’re planning to do something, such as: ‘meditate every evening for 15 minutes’.
Perform Actions On Repeat
Put simply: creating healthy habits is about performing actions on repeat. The more times you do something, the more embedded it will become in your daily life, and before you know it, it will have become a non-negotiable. This was highlighted in a hallmark study from 2009, which found consistent daily repetition was the biggest factor influencing whether a behaviour would become part of an automatic routine.
‘Try to put in place reminders, especially when you are in the early stages of forming a habit, such as a reminder on your phone, or a note on the fridge or bedside table,’ recommends the Simple team. The app offers push notifications which can be used as a reminder, ensuring you keep on track.
Research has shown you’re far more likely to keep up a habit if there’s an element of enjoyment too, so try to bring in some fun – whether that’s roping in a friend to do an exercise class with you, or whizzing up a delicious smoothie packed with goodness.
Keep It Simple
If you set yourself ten different goals, no doubt you’ll end up getting overwhelmed and scrapping them all. But studies have shown if you challenge yourself to one, simple new habit, you’re more likely to stick to it. This is echoed by Simple’s experts. ‘Don’t overload yourself with too many things to do at once. Keep it simple. Focus on a few small things at a time, and then build on this as you progress.’
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Find Social Support
Telling friends and family about your goals can help hold you accountable. But studies also show it can help to connect with people on a similar path. Keen to get into running? Join a run club to make new like-minded friends – research also suggests good habits are contagious.
Be Kind To Yourself
Overall, be nice to yourself. ‘Making changes to your diet and lifestyle can be tough, especially when you are first starting. Allow for the occasional slip up and don’t blame yourself for it – these things happen and are just part of the journey.’
Find out more about Simple and sign up at simple.life
