WHY HABITS MATTER

HABITS IMPACT OUR LIVES-PROFOUNDLY!

This is quite personal for me. I often think that my life has been featured largely by eliminating bad habits, forming good ones and holding on to the good ones. Overeating was a real problem for many years. I even smoked cigarettes briefly. Fortunately, neither alcohol nor drugs were issues. I knew that I couldn’t successfully deal with alcohol or drugs. I was too susceptible to bad habits. Too vulnerable. So, even now, I don’t drink more than a glass of wine every several years.

Physical fitness has always been important to me. At this point, I do a 30 minute workout every morning before breakfast. It is automatic and I don’t even think about it. It just happens. This is the value of habit.

Unlike the case with alcohol, drugs or cigarettes, I can’t stop overeating by eliminating food. I had to learn to drink water before eating, to eat slowly and to meditate. I have lost over 60 pounds, but I continue to have problems with addictive food – food with sugar, salt or fats. A solution that has helped is that I keep daily entries of calories per meal, workout reps, cardio minutes, blood presssure and pulse. This may be compulsive, but it works for me. I keep my weight between 179 and 183 pounds.

The message below is especially meaningful to me. I know that inspiration (or motivation) is crucial to begin a routine that requires discipline, whether cardio, strength building, eating nutritiously or breaking a bad habit. But the inspiration can come and go. Fortunately, well- ingrained habits can override a lack of inspiration. We act automatically.

Next, I will go into an explanation of the influence of habits on all aspects of our lives. I will finish with sources to make home workouts more valuable and more effectively done.

HABITS MATTER MORE THAN WE MIGHT THINK

Our habits can create a framework for daily activities that may improve or diminish our well-being. Habits make us more efficient. We require less effort and less thinking to complete a task.

Healthline tells us that some habits will promote wellness, while others may give us an unwanted impact. But, with a little effort, we may dismiss habits that no longer serve us and create new ones that do.

Types of habits include:

• Preventative habits – eliminating unwanted health issues
• Eating habits – avoiding overeating and unhealthy food choices
• Habits of our mind – thought patterns
• Social and communication habits – to improve our relationships with others
• Productivity habits – to improve our time management and attainment of goals
• Unwanted habits – negative habits may give us immediate relief, but long term problems

Preventative habits

• Taking daily vitamins may prevent nutrient deficiencies
• Brushing our teeth twice a day may prevent cavities
• Applying sunscreen every day and before going outside can prevent skin cancer

Eating habits

• Filling half our plates with vegetables and fruit
• Packing nourishing snacks for trips
• Opting for whole grains instead of refined grains

Habits of our mind

• Finding the humor in challenging situations
• Using positive self- talk when we feel insecure
• Practicing gratitude daily

Social and communication habits

• Actively listening and empathizing when others talk
• Making eye contact
• Repeating someone’s name out loud when we meet them to be sure we remember it
• Offering verbal vaildation when someone shares their feelings

Productivity habits

• Making a to-do list
• Tackling most challenging tasks first
• Eliminating distractions when working

Unwanted habits

• Interrupting others during conversation
• Procrastinating
• Dwelling on past events
• Biting our nails
• Skipping meals when busy or in a rush
• Consuming too much sugar
• Getting defensive when someone offers constructive criticism

WE CAN TEACH OURSELVES NEW HABITS

Generally, it takes about 66 days of daily practice for an action to become a habit. Here are some tips to reinforce new habits:

• Be sure the new habit is feasible. Consistency is the key. If we overload our routine, it will not become automatic. If we don’t have a time slot for a daily workout of one hour, set up a 30 minute time.
• Make it as convenient as possible. We will then stick with it. For workout consistency, be sure to have relevant equipment.
• Practice the habit at the same time every day. For me, this is a workout every day before breakfast.
• Reward yourself. Celebrating the achievement of small goals will keep us on track.
• Use the buddy system. We can better stay accountable if we have a partner with the same or similar goals.

Check out my prior posts on the value of habits.:

7 Simple Habits

Habit Formation and Fitness

Psychology of Habit Formation

AFFILIATE MARKETING

I am an affiliate marketer, which means that I am able to establish associations with companies that allow me to link to their products and possibly earn by activity on those links. See my upper menu – BECOME AN AFFILIATE MARKETER – for complete information on this business opportunity. The simple diagram below may also be helpful.

Here are a few links to Amazon for equipment, books or other items that are important for those who do home workouts. Amazon gives us good service, quick delivery, fair prices and a huge array of product choices.

Wellness tracker

Habit Transformation : A Guide to Living Your Best Life

The Power of Habit

Home treadmill – similar to the one I use

Resistance bands with handles – for a full body workout for less than $27

Loop bands – less than $10. I use these for isometrics and for physical therapy.

BULLWORKER FITNESS – see my link at the side of the page for high quality isotonic/isometric fitness tools. I use these every day,

DICK’S SPORTING GOODS – See my link, also at the side, for the best in sporting goods for pros, amateurs or beginners. I have shopped there for several decades.

FINAL THOUGHTS

One more item I would highly recommend – I discovered the value of tart cherry juice recently and it has significantly lowered my blood pressure.

Here is the Amazon link. Check out my recent article on tart cherry juice,

I have learned over the years that good habits are crucial to success in anything we may decide to do, any action that we take. Bad habits are just as impactful for negative results.

It just makes sense. We are able to accomplish things automatically. We can become almost robotic if we wish.

Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below.

Let’s take care of our bodies and live longer!