If you are starting to work towards a healthier lifestyle, it can feel incredibly overwhelming knowing where to start. Even once you have an idea of the changes that you need to make, how do you get yourself to actually start, and then continue?
If you find it difficult to keep up the momentum in making lifestyle changes, these simple tips might make it easier for you!
Choose 2-3 things to change in a week
Rather than trying to change absolutely everything in your life, just pick 2-3 of the most important things. This could be something like- making a commitment to walk for 15-20 minutes every morning, plus eating fruit at breakfast every morning, and cutting off caffeine after 3pm.
All of these will have significant benefits to your health, are easy to remember, and aren’t too difficult to implement. Once these new habits have started to feel more automatic, you can decide on some new goals to include. And don’t be too strict with this tip. If you get to the end of the week and don’t feel like you are ready to make any new changes, then leave it for another week!
Make being healthy easier
It’s hard to choose healthy foods when there’s nothing in your pantry but high sugar high sodium pre-packaged foods. It’s difficult to get out there and exercise when you don’t have any workout clothes that fit properly. It’s very hard to make a healthy choice when you’ve skipped lunch and are absolutely starving, and the local drive through is your way home.
Plan ahead a little, and think about what you could do now that will make those healthier choices more likely in the future. Maybe it’s laying your exercise clothes ready for the next morning. Packing a healthy lunch the night before to grab on your way out the door. Even putting together some recipes and making sure you have the ingredients on hand through the week.
Celebrate your changes, not whether you’ve reached your goal
Make sure you take a minute to celebrate all the healthy changes you have made, and that you are on your way to serious progress with your health. Rather than getting irritated that all your hard work only changed your weight by half a kilo, or that you aren’t running an hour straight without a break yet, look at what you have accomplished.
This way you will be much more likely to feel positive about the experience, and be able to continue your changes long term. Before long you’ll be hitting your goals and you’ll have enjoyed the process as well!
