Stacking healthy habits

Many people know what they ‘should’ do to keep healthy, whether that be sleep a good 7-8 hours per night, limit screen time, drink more water and/or less alcohol, get outside, move often and eat well. Putting those healthy habits into practice however often ends up pretty low on the priority list. Starting a new healthy practice can seem fun, a challenge or something to feel good about. Getting going is easy, but maintaining these health giving practices can sometimes turn out to be quite a chore. If we already know ways to keep healthy, why is implementing and then maintaining so challenging? BJ Fogg, a professor at Stanford says; 'If you plant the right seed in the right spot, it will grow without further coaxing.' I believe this is the best metaphor for creating habits. The “right seed” is the tiny behavior that you choose. The “right spot” is the sequencing — what it comes after. The “coaxing” part is ramping up motivation, which I think has nothing to do with creating habits. In fact, focusing on motivation as the key to habits is exactly wrong.

'Let me be more explicit: If you pick the right small behavior and sequence it right, then you won't have to motivate yourself to have it grow. It will just happen naturally, like a good seed planted in a good spot.' —BJ Fogg, founder of Tiny Habits

I really enjoyed reading the book Atomic habits by James Clear. In his approach, he suggests the smallest attainable habits or lifestyle changes stacked up can generate the biggest results. I love this approach, if you always brush your teeth when you get up, why not do 20 squats whilst you are there? Over the weeks, those squats add up! If you make a coffee every morning, how about a few press ups or tricep dips on the work surface whilst you wait for the kettle to boil/coffee to percolate? If you think you never have time to meditate but always have to do the school run, why not arrive 5 -10 minutes early each day to make time to sit in silence? How about buying veggies locally and habit stacking that by getting 5 + colours of the veg on your plate each day and each time you eat them, you drink another big glass of water? It can be that simple! Sometimes our goals are just way too big and we end up putting ourselves off before we have even get started.

James Clear says; ‘The typical approach is to dive into the deep end as soon as you get a dose of motivation, only to fail quickly and wish you had more willpower as your new habit drowns. The new approach is to wade into the shallow water, slowly going deeper until you reach the point where you can swim whether you're motivated or not.'

Focus on Lifestyle, Not Life–Changing

Too often we get obsessed with making life–changing transformations.

• Losing 50 pounds would be life–changing, drinking 8 glasses of water per day is a new type of lifestyle.

• Publishing your first book would be life–changing, emailing a new book agent each day is a new type of lifestyle.

• Running a marathon would be life–changing, running 3 days per week is a new type of lifestyle.

• Earning an extra £20,000 each year would be life–changing, working an extra 5 hours per week as a freelancer is a new type of lifestyle.

• Squatting 100 more pounds would be life–changing, squatting 3 days per week is a new type of lifestyle.

Do you see the difference?

Life goals are good to have because they provide direction, but they can also trick you into taking on more than you can handle. Daily habits — tiny routines that are repeatable — are what make big dreams a reality.’

I agree! Start small, be realistic, be kind to yourself, be accountable - either to yourself or to a friend and you can see those little habits stack up! Many of my students have said they have found that sticking to doing one or two of my online classes per week has given them focus and structure during their week - especially during lock down and now finding the new norm! Sometimes it is hard to always get on and stay on your mat, especially at home, but if you know others are there waiting for you - either in person or online, it can really help! xx