Enrich's Guide for Building New Habits

A habit is something that is routine to you that you repeat. This automatic action is informed by contextual ques and can have a positive or negative impact on you and those around you.

While it has often been said that it takes only 21 days to form a habit, this is a dated concept. In reality it takes much longer to form a habit with the research suggesting this can be anywhere from 66 to over 200 days! The length of time taken to form a habit can not only vary from person to person but is also influenced by the action/habit itself.

The most common habits to want to begin at the beginning of the year are those involving exercise or diet. These aspects of wellness can be difficult habits to both begin and break, with eating habits being the most difficult to change. Building a new habit is a time to reset, you are putting your old habits behind and beginning a new journey. It is a time to reflect on what values are most important to you, and it is essential to plan attainable long-term habits, they can start off small and gradually, modify the habit to reach the desired goal. The key is to be consistent with whatever you chose to begin.

For example: setting nutrition goals could be as easy as trying to increase your fruit and vegetable intake from 3 times a week to 4. Then as time goes on, if desired, you can build on this habit by possibly increasing your intake to 5-6 times a week or introducing a new variety of fruit/vegetable either.

I would love to set out some new habits and goals for myself for the New Year, but I am struggling about where to start?

If it’s not something you are used to, building new habits or creating goals is difficult. The key is shifting your mindset, it will make building new habits a much smoother transition. There can be physical barriers but mentally, it is much more tough.

Healthy habits can often be the most difficult to form, so we’ve put together a list of our top tips for creating healthy habits to last a lifetime!

1. Know your current habits – take some time to assess your current habits & decide which of these are not serving you well –these are the ones you’ll want to ditch. It’s also important to note habits you want to create e.g., going for a walk everyday etc.

2. From here make a plan and set your goal – make small reasonable goals and a plan to achieve them.

3. Ask for help & support – ask friends & family to support you in creating your new habit.

4. Track your progress & reward yourself – It’s important to reward yourself for the positive changes you make, why not take time out of your week, and do something for you. Remember positive reinforcement is always beneficial!