11 Tiny Habits to Nudge You Towards Wellness
Daily lifestyle habits are the building blocks to a long, healthy life. They’re the things you do automatically, as a matter of routine, that nudge you towards wellness. For example, you are likely so consistent with brushing your teeth it nearly happens automatically. At the beginning it took practice. Now, it's a successful habit with no struggle to brush. With minimal mental effort, you’re maintaining good dental health!
Behavior change isn’t about willpower
First, my clients and I hone in on the root cause of the symptoms impeding their health.
Next, we identify the easiest behaviors they could change for the most dramatic impact.
And then, the work really begins!
Simply identifying what needs to change doesn’t result in change. So what’s next? Relying on pure willpower to force change is furthest from the easiest or the most sustainable way to make a change.
Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg is an excellent practical resource to make meaningful change in your life. In a nutshell, he instructs you to break down new, desirable behaviors into tiny steps and practice incorporating them consistently.
The transformative power of tiny habits
I’ve witnessed truly life-changing transformations when they’re approached systematically, bit by bit, starting from the smallest seed. Over time, little tiny habits become seamlessly incorporated, just like brushing your teeth.
For example, maybe you’ve got an appetite for the foods you know you shouldn’t be eating. Can you imagine preparing food for yourself that you enjoy and actually feel good about eating? Can you imagine doing this effortlessly and consistently for years? I have proof in the form of client food journals that documents this transformation. They’re people just like you who wouldn’t have recognized their own future fridge on day 1. This future fridge is the culmination of practicing tiny habits over and over, practicing a new way of being. All the positive new habits and dismantled negative ones add up to effortless thriving.
Tiny habits to nudge you towards wellness
Whether your goal is weight loss, better health, or reducing awful symptoms, think about your habits.
Here are 11 tiny habits to nudge you towards general wellness. I recommend starting with any that scream out to you, then read Tiny Habits or talk to me in order to tailor these habits to you and your wellness goals.
After my feet hit the floor in the morning, I will fill the kettle with water.
After I take my last bite of breakfast, I will close my eyes for a 5 minute breathing meditation.
After I start the coffee maker, I will open my supplement’s lid.
After I use the bathroom, I will pour a glass of water.
After I open the fridge for dinner, I will turn my phone on do-not-disturb (or airplane) mode for the evening.
After I pull out the dining chair, I will set a timer for 20 minutes.
After I put my dinner dish in the dishwasher, I will put on my walking shoes.
After I close out Netflix, I will write my to-do list for tomorrow.
After I put my head on the pillow, I will take 4 slow breaths.
After I do my favorite weekly workout class, I grab my keys and my grocery list.
After I brush my teeth, I will walk to the kitchen to make my overnight oats for tomorrow.
