Written by: Jill Yeiter, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
You want to create healthy, sustainable habits but you rarely have success. You know one-off attempts at impacting your well-being are not the solution. This article can be helpful if you’d like a few ideas on how to create sustainable habits that serve you now and in the future.
A bit of background…
I’m a Wellness Coach with a Bachelor’s in Lifestyle Management and over a decade of experience helping people feel better in their bodies. One aspect of the help I provide includes assisting clients to build sustainable habits that are both intentional and flexible. Habits are essential to long-term success in so many areas of our lives but are rarely sustainable when approached from an all-or-nothing paradigm.
Why do we value habits?
Habits are much easier to sustain and lead to much better results than one-off occurrences, they reduce decision fatigue, and they create helpful feedback loops. Once established, habits feel supportive and create a sense of ease and ritual in our days.
Tip 1: Be Intentional but Flexible
I believe most successful things in life, including nurturing our health, happen in shades of grey rather than black and white. The black-and-white paradigm is aligned with an all-or-nothing approach, which is really harmful when attempting behavior change for the purpose of creating healthier habits. Whereas, the shades of grey paradigm is aligned with both intentionality and flexibility. Intentionality is grounded in the things we can control such as planning, organizing, directing our attention, taking action, etc. The flexibility allows for what we can’t control and provides a way for us to feel successful rather than defeated when we honor necessary adjustments. For example, perhaps you had a goal to get more physical activity this past year. Maybe you even had a very specific action plan that you were initially able to execute to the point of it becoming a habit. All of this required a great deal of intentionality. You then became ill which affected your energy, you got behind at work, and you simply could not keep up with the original plan. In black-and-white mode, you get frustrated and feel like a failure, in shades-of-grey mode, you recognize it as an opportunity to respect what’s actually going on and be flexible. You recognize that rest needs prioritization on the physical activity continuum for now and then because you are present with your reality, you also recognize when your energy shifts and you need a little bit of movement until you are eventually able to resume your regular exercise routine. If you continue to stay present, at some point you will notice your routine becomes mundane and you will need to be both intentional and flexible again. This is likely the case for most areas of your life, there’s a meandering, an ebb and flow, but what’s most important is to notice when you get away from yourself and gently find your way back.
Tip 2: Define Success on Your Own Terms
What might it look like if you made a values-based decision and lined up with it in each area of your
well-being? What would success look like to you and your unique situation if you honor both intentionality and flexibility? What are the signs you need to be more consistent? What are the signs you need to allow for new energy and experiences to enter the scene?
Tip 3: Use a Simple Habit Tracker
A simple habit tracker in a bullet journal can be a helpful tool to create a visual reminder of what needs your attention. You can list the days of the month down and your identified habits across the top. If you have identifieda desired habit of connecting with nature daily and you notice your mood slipping and a correlation with missed days in nature it can provide helpful feedback.
All You Need to Know
Habits lead to much better success than one-off occurrences. Being both intentional and flexible is important for sustainability. Taking the time to create values-based habits is important for success. Using a simple habit tracker tool can provide valuable visual insights.
Call To Action
If you’d like help, I’m a Wellness Coach and can be reached here.
Jill Yeiter, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jill Yeiter is a Wellness Coach with a Bachelor's in Lifestyle management and two decades of experience helping others improve their health. She has expertise in Workplace Wellness, Pilates, Intuitive Eating, and more. She currently runs an online business, Heal With Jill, and offers a variety of free resources in addition to her paid coaching services.
