5 Tips to Tackle Health Habits (and Keep Them Going)

There’s a big connection between health and sleep. Movement, eating habits, hydration and even mental health all help to determine how you sleep. While this can be empowering to know there are many avenues to take to tackle any sleep challenges you have . . . it’s also super intimidating. 

To fix your sleep, just fix everything else. 

But is it about “fixing” it? How do you even do this? Being “healthier” can already be intimidating with so much information and different takes on that term.

There is something good about this though: With health, small changes really do make a big difference. Any change — and all changes — all can help improve your day to day life. 

We want to help you make the changes you’ve wanted to (and keep them up!). These tips will help.

What is a “habit”?

A habit is something you do automatically, almost without thinking about it. They are created in our minds and bodies by repetition. Many definitions speak to it as a behaviour; an action, routine or lifestyle. 

When was the last time you thought about fluffing your pillow before laying down? Or about brushing your teeth before bed? Things become so  ingrained in our lives that we just do them. 

MYTH: It takes 21 days to form a habit.

TRUTH: Habits take time and there is no “rule” to them at all. Some habits will be easy, other will not. So make sure you listen to your body and pay attention to your behaviour changes when trying to alter your own personal habits.

The takeaway?

Habits are 100% changeable. Who you are is not set in stone by your actions. You can change them. You can establish new habits and create the lifestyle and routine you want to. Getting excited? I know we are.

What is the key to changing or establishing a habit?

Because habits are about routine, the biggest thing to changing or building a new habit is consistency. If your habit is that you want to drink more water in the morning, don’t get lazy on day 2 and jump right to coffee. It’s the days you don’t want to do it that you need to do it the most. That’s how new habits are built.

So, here’s our 5 tips to tackle health habits and keep with them consistently. 

 1. Go small

We’re anti “go big or go home” for this one. Going big is the easiest way to burn out. When it comes to health, it’s about running a marathon. Your changes and health habits should be built upon, slowly, over time and in increments. This helps you build life-long habits that make health changes feel reachable. 

 2. Spread out your efforts

We named a few segments of health above: movement, nutrition, hydration and mental. These are not the only ones. But, we’ll use these four in this example.

When you’re starting to make small changes to improve your overall health and sleep, pick one small thing from each of these categories.

For example, try to go for a 15 minute walk at lunch 3X a week. Then, add an extra fruit and veggie item to your food — an apple at breakfast and a handful of carrots for an afternoon snack. After that, throw in an extra glass of water before your coffee in the morning. Finally, commit to doing 1 minute of deep breathing before bed. 

These examples are all really small and when they’re spread out, it feels really doable. If you decide you’re going to focus all your efforts into one aspect of your overall health, it turns into one very big change. 

3. Find a buddy or share your new habits

Accountability can play a big role in helping to maintain new actions and to give them time to turn into old habits. A walk is a great time to call a friend to catch up, maybe that becomes your chat time. If you work remotely, join or create an activity channel in your Slack or chat software and share pictures of your meals or from your walks. You’d also be surprised how motivating sharing your activities can be for you. 

4. Don’t do it all at once

If you want to make 5 changes to  your health habits, spread them our over a period of weeks or months. It can take a while to feel that your habits are establishing themselves and that that these changes are becoming a part of your daily practices. Give yourself a month — minimum — before throwing in any new changes. While it’s okay to push your limits to help yourself grow, you don’t want to go further than you can handle. Really listen to yourself.

5. Celebrate your wins — all of them

Did you swap out white bread for whole grain for a week? Self-five.

Did you drink an extra glass of water today? Heck yes you did.

Did you go for 3 walks during the work week? Dance party to celebrate.

Making the decision to change your habits is a big one. Following through and hitting your goals is a huge win – even if those goals are small and achievable. If you want your habit changes to be lasting, then recognize and congratulate yourself when you are successful. According to Harvard Business Review, celebrations play a big role in releasing dopamine in our brains, helping us feel good about our achievements and building connections to our roles. 

Address your habits, help your sleep

By making these changes and using our tips to help them last, you’ll see results. Your sleep will improve. You’ll feel more awake and energized. And you’ll be motivated to feel good and build a lifestyle that you’ve always wished you could. 

If you’re looking for more tips and tricks to build a lifestyle that supports your health - awake and sleeping – then follow our blog and check us out on Instagram. We’re here to support your journey. 

If your sleep is really concerning for you, speak to your doctor about booking a sleep study! They’re 100^% covered by OHIP and can give you otherwise unknown insight into your sleep patterns.