Recommendations to create new habits

A healthy diet and regular physical exercise are the basis for good lifestyle habits.

In order for something to become a habit, it must be the result of actions which are regularly repeated. That is how to turn it into a habit, an activity we do effortlessly and which we incorporate into our daily lives.

There are different theories about how long it takes to turn an activity into a habit. From the 21 days suggested by the plastic surgeon from Columbia University (United States), Maxwell Maltz, to around 66 days according to a study from University College London, which determined that that is the time it takes for an activity to become a routine.

Here are five recommendations to turn an activity into a habit:

• Set yourself achievable, measurable goals. Do not try to change your life overnight. You need to know yourself in order to know how far you can go. In that way, you can set your own objectives and, once achieved, use them as the basis for further evolution. You can’t expect to be able to do a triathlon if you don’t even go out running regularly. It is better to focus on goals that are within your reach.
• One by one or step by step. Creating new habits is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to train every day in order to overcome the obstacles that arise. If you want to lose weight, do not suddenly begin an incredibly restrictive calorie-controlled diet. Consider how you could lose weight with healthy habits that you can maintain over time. It is important to learn how to eat little by little, improving your diet and allowing yourself the occasional treat.
• Visualise the results. It will be very useful in achieving the goals you have set yourself. If you visualise yourself doing sport and how good you feel when you have done some exercise, that will be a great motivation when you are feeling lazy.
• Evaluate yourself. You could note down your weekly achievements once you have started a new habit. Seeing your progress is the best way of forging ahead. But also make a note of areas in which you are not making progress: knowing your failings in order to work on them will help you to seek the right solution.
• Reward. Celebrate the goals you have achieved. It is important in order to keep going and not give up. If you have lost 1 kilo, give yourself a treat, something you really like. That will make you feel good and know that your efforts will be rewarded.

Creating a new habit also means being open to change and learning. Once you have chosen the habit you want to acquire, you should find out about it. Read, consult, search on the internet, ask your friends and learn about the benefits it will bring and how to put it into practice.

If you miss out that process, you might well begin with great enthusiasm, but it will be very difficult to overcome the obstacles that appear along the way, turning a healthy routine into a real nightmare.

Repeating an activity does not turn it into a habit. For that to occur, you must be ready, physically and mentally, because your brain must receive the right signals in order to activate the reward centre when you achieve a goal you have set yourself.

Along the way, set aside negative thoughts, which do not contribute anything good and could make it more difficult to try again if you fail to achieve your goal. Therefore, good preparation and clear goals are important. In that regard, mobile devices can be a great ally, reminding us of what we have to do each day and indicating our achievements. Based on that, we can see where we have faltered and overcome that obstacle.