What Do You Really Need To Build A New Habit

Our habits literally determine our lives. Studies show that around half of our daily actions are driven by repetition. This is probably why behavioral scientists and psychologists spend so much time writing about how to create and maintain positive habits. Regular sleep, exercise, regular sleep, a well-organized daily routine, and mindfulness are just examples of practices that, if practiced regularly, can improve our relationships, mental health, and work.

Habit and routine are not identical. A habit is a behavior that is performed with little or no thought, while a routine is a behavior that is repeated frequently and consciously. In order for a behavior to become a habit, it must first become a routine.

new habit!

Experts say the best way to form a new habit is to link it to an existing habit. Look at your daily habits and think about how you can use existing habits to create positive, new ones.

For many of us, the morning routine is our strongest habit, so it's a great place to create a new habit. For example, a morning cup of tea can be a great opportunity to start a new one-minute meditation practice.

According to B.J. Fogg, the author of the book "Tiny Habits," big changes in behavior require a high level of motivation, which is often impossible to maintain. He suggests starting with small habits to make it as easy as possible to acquire a new habit at first. For example, taking a short walk every day can be the start of an exercise habit. Or, putting an apple in your handbag every day can help you develop better eating habits.

Changing habits is not just a matter of determination, even though you may have learned to do so. Of course, we all have habits that we would like to get rid of but can not. There are good habits that we have picked up and given up. But the real barrier to change for most people is not a lack of determination, but a lack of understanding of how a habit works.

All habits change in a similar way. When smoking cessation succeeds, or when an organization changes its collective behavior to improve safety standards, certain universal patterns are at work.

The Top 5 Energy-Boosting Habits:

Your habits determine your energy levels. If you have good habits, you will feel more energetic and be more resistant to physical and psychological burnout. If your habits are out of sync, you can get caught in a cycle where you feel worse and worse until it becomes difficult to just keep going.

 

Daily exercise

Exercise is a long-term investment in your energy balance. In the short term, it is easy to cut back on food, but in the long term, it reduces your overall fitness and makes it harder to think and stay alert throughout the day.

Don't make going to the gym an absolute necessity. If you don’t have time to exercise, get into the habit of doing a few push-ups or push-ups with bitterness every day. This will get your blood flowing and your heart pumping without taking two hours out of your already busy schedule.

You can supplement this basic habit by going to the gym or taking fitness classes, but this basic exercise routine will help you stay fresh even when you can't go to the gym.

Go to bed early.

Sleep is the mainstay of your energy. If you don't sleep enough, you're working non-stop.

While some people claim to work best on five hours of sleep or less, research shows that they are fooling themselves. Seven to eight hours is almost essential if you want to stay cognitively sharp for a long time.

For some people, sleep deprivation can be a psychological plateau, i.e., they feel a bit tired during the day but don't think their performance will deteriorate. One interesting experiment showed that sleep deprivation led to a steady decline in mental performance, even though the subjects thought it was stable.

Hydrate Inside and Out.

Life begins with water, so start your day with a cold shower! A cold shower activates circulation, strengthens the immune system, regulates the endocrine system and ultimately gives you a smile. Scientists suggest that a three-minute cold shower may be enough to reverse some of the effects of chronic fatigue, while a 30-second cold shower is enough to boost energy. Water accounts for more than 55% of body weight. So, drink water! Stop punishing yourself by letting your body suffer from dehydration. Carry a bottle and become its best friend. Do your research and calculate your total body water intake, taking into account your age, gender, height, weight, and health.

Read better books.

One of the great things about reading books is that they offer more than just ideas and information. Rather, it is a reinforcement of thinking, which is often unconscious. The best books are not the ones that give you the facts, but the ones that subtly change your whole way of thinking.

Audiobooks can be very useful in this respect, as they can be listened to and re-listened to every day on the go. A good book is one that automatically adjusts your thinking as you listen to it, so that it focuses on the things that need improvement. Just as a good song can be the backdrop for a certain emotion, so can a good book be the backdrop for a certain thought energy.

Make your plans a day before.

Energy is often linked to momentum. If you start hard, you can work hard all day without procrastination. But if you start slowly, you will find yourself fighting against your desires and wasting energy on unproductive things.

 

In the end,

Reward yourself. Rewards are an important part of making a habit. Brushing your teeth immediately gives you a fresh mouth. But some rewards, such as weight loss or physical changes after exercise, can only come after a long period of time. That's why immediate rewards can help form habits. For example, running while listening to an audiobook or watching your favorite cooking show on the treadmill can help you develop an exercise habit. Or plan a date night that rewards you with time with a friend.