Every day you make choices that affect your health. It’s easy to put off those big changes until later. “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” you say, but tomorrow just gets further and further away. Jump starting a healthy change in your life should be simpler.
One of the biggest challenges when trying to make a healthy change in your life is to simply get started. You’re stuck in your habits, and changing those habits is intimidating. There’s a disconnect between Americans’ desire to make healthier choices and their actual habits. In this guide, we’ll cover 6 ways to jump-start a healthy change in your life that doesn’t have to be intimidating.
1. Adjust Your Mindset
One of the biggest changes isn’t to your body at all, it’s to your mind. You need to realize that you’re the only one with the power to change your life and choose your next path. A lot of people have to overcome the hurdle that they “can’t do it.” The truth is nobody is unable to change.
Take a close look at your behaviours and how you feel about your health. Are you too focused on how you feel? Are you afraid of making a big change? You need to tackle these issues first before you can move onto the next steps.
2. Create Real Goals
Having a simple goal like “I want to lose weight” isn’t enough. You need an attainable goal that you can break down into smaller goals and actually work towards. If you want to make a long-term change, you need both short-term and long-term goals.
Be really specific with your goals. Here are some great ideas to focus on when making a healthy change:
- Make healthy recipes to cook for your family and yourself
- Weekly weigh in
- Master new exercises
- Take a new exercise class
3. Recruit Friends
You need a support system to achieve a major change in your life. While you’ll ultimately be responsible for your own health, you don’t have to be in this alone. Getting a little bit of help from your friends and family will always help.
Studies show that when people have support of their family and friends, they’re much more likely to consistently lose weight. Tell your friends and family about your goals and plans. Have them keep you accountable, or even join you on your journey.
4. Don’t Skip Snacking
Snacking is key to making a major change. Too many people go cold-turkey when it comes to the food they love, but this just makes any health change feel too restrictive and hard to keep up with. If you can, do research on the best snack foods that won’t compromise your health. Here’s a great resource for learning more about your food.
5. Plan Simple Rewards
It shouldn’t be all work and no play. Planning simple rewards can be a great way to motivate yourself. For instance, maybe you work out every day this week or complete a really hard exercise class. You deserve some kind of reward for your hard work!
What should your reward be? It doesn’t have to be a snack or delicious treat. You can have a fun night with friends, see a movie, or even just enjoy a relaxing bath. These little rewards don’t let you lose progress.
6. Make Small Changes
Last but not least, don’t underestimate the power of small changes. Small changes can make a big difference in the way you feel on a daily basis. Whatever you can start today is what you should do. If you can take a 10-minute walk, take a 10-minute walk. If you can cut out soda, cut out soda. All of these things matter, and they’ll motivate you to keep going.
Time for a Change
Are you ready to make a real change when it comes to your health goals, it’s time for a change. Jump starting your first change can feel like an impossible hurdle, but it doesn’t have to be. Making small changes and focusing on small rewards will help you make a change one day at a time.
Health shouldn’t be complicated. Don’t believe the hype. You don’t have to buy into expensive fads and diets to make a change. Just start with these tips above, and see how far you can go.
