How to Build New, Positive Habits

The New Year is right around the corner, but you don’t have to wait until then to build new, positive habits in your life. But if you’ve ever attempted a new year’s resolution, or any other habit for that matter, you’ll know that it can be a challenge to make them stick. So, to help you out in 2022, let’s take a look at some tips and strategies to help you work on positive habits and make them last this time.

Start small

If you want to introduce healthier eating habits, a fitness regimen, a reading habit, a meditation habit, and quit smoking or drinking, then don’t focus on all of these things at once. Start small and just choose the one habit that’s most important to you right now. Work on building that habit and then introduce another one a couple of months down the line.

Everyone’s different, so you can maybe start with two habits instead, or introduce your second one in just a few weeks. It depends on how big of a change the new habit is as well as on your own sensibilities.

Build them into your routine

Think about the things that you do every day. You don’t usually have to motivate yourself or remind yourself to make your morning coffee, brush your teeth, or drive to work. You just do these things automatically because they are such an ingrained part of your routine already. This could be the same for your new habits with enough time.

Think about where your new habit will fit best into your routine and do it at the same point every day, or each day you want to perform that habit. For example, you could say that every time you get into bed at night you will read for 30 minutes. After sticking to this for a while, you’ll pick up your book each night without even thinking.

Focus on the outcome

You want to build this new habit for a reason. Maybe it’s to become fitter and healthier, to save money, or to learn something new. Whenever your motivation is waning, focus on this future outcome rather than on the things that you’re giving up or the hard work you have to put in. Setting concrete goals can help you have something to work toward.

Reward yourself

If you’re doing a good job and have been sticking to your new habit, don’t forget to celebrate that and reward yourself. This could be at the end of each week or each month that you consistently stick to your habit. And there are lots of ways to reward yourself – your favorite meal, a fun day out or a lazy day in, a shopping trip, a spa day, or just a professional massage to help you relax and feel good about your progress. This reward can motivate you to continue for the next week or month.

If a massage sounds like the perfect reward for your new habit, then contact Moonstone Massage to book a massage in Winston Salem, NC.