10 ways to shake off your unhealthy habits

unhealthy habits
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It’s the new year, and you know what that means….it’s time to shake off those unhealthy habits people! But we as we all know too well, the main problem with creating a healthy lifestyle is how hard it is to get rid of your unhealthy habits. Ultimately, the reason many of us find it hard to create a health-focused routine is that our lifestyles are already guided by habits. While these habits are not always healthy, they create a sense of order and reassurance. 

We stick to our unhealthy habits and routine because it offers a known structure to everyday life. So Iif you are going to transform your lifestyle, your priority should be to shake off some of the unhealthy habits that tend to take over. But how?

Pick a healthy retreat

The best and easiest way to change your habits is to create a situation in which you can’t maintain your routine. Planning a holiday, for instance, can help question some of your habits and try out new ones without compromising on comfort.

Admittedly, it’s tricky to talk about vacations in the middle of a pandemic, but as soon as travel restrictions are lifted, you could visit the world’s most remote region for a unique retreat. Antarctica is not the first destination that comes to mind for a vacation. But traveller-friendly expectations include access to a smoothie bar, a spa and a salt-water pool. This sounds like the ideal backdrop for a cleansing retreat! 

Avoid your triggers

Today was going to be a good day. Yet, you’re not sure how it happened, but you find yourself nervously plunging your hand inside a half-empty pack of biscuits. Oops! 

Most people tend to react to these three things by grabbing extra calories: stress, fatigue, and boredom. But if you pay attention to your reactions, you can identify risks before it’s too late. 

Are you getting stressed out at work? Take a brief break. You only need a few minutes away from the screen to gain back control. You could go for a brisk walk outside or simply use the time to brew a cup of tea. 

Fatigue is something you know from the moment you get up. If you haven’t had enough sleep, you are going to run low on energy. But, here’s the thing: No jammy dodger is going to replenish your energy levels! Instead, it can be helpful to get from fresh air and engage in brief activity bursts (like 60 seconds jumping jack challenge). 

Finally, boredom creates mindless cravings. Rather than opening the cupboard for a sweet treat, make a point of drinking a glass of water each time you go to the kitchen. 

Find ways of making yourself accountable

Fitness plans can be helpful. But they are not motivating. As it happens, motivation isn’t a magical thing that can appear out of the blue. There is no such thing as motivating yourself to get in shape. Instead, you have to make it a habit.

When it becomes a habit that fits seamlessly into your routine, you don’t need to question your motivation any longer. Fitness habits make us accountable because they are part of your day-to-day routine. With a fitness app that is tailored around your needs, you can not only track progress but also schedule activities and meals accordingly. 

Just stop buying empty calories

It’s an easy enough rule. If you don’t buy it, you don’t have to worry about eating it. It requires exercising control and discipline only once, aka when you’re at the shop. Comparatively, if you buy a pack of jammy dodgers, you will need to be constantly attentive to your mood and cravings to control your calorie intake. Nobody has that level of self-discipline! 

There’s another advantage to avoiding empty calories. Food that is high in fat or sugar tends to saturate your taste buds. When most flavours are artificially enhanced, it’s hard to appreciate the sweetness of a fresh piece of fruit. But when you stop yourself from buying junk food, you proactively help clear your taste buds. This will improve your experience of food, so you’re less likely to crave unhealthy options and find it easier to eat yourself both healthier and happier in future. 

Focus on how you feel

Introducing healthy habits has a variety of positive effects. Most people focus on physical improvements, ranging from weight loss to vitality. But these are unlikely to appear overnight. Therefore, if you are changing your routine to improve your fitness levels, you are unlikely to notice any change before several weeks.

This can make it tricky to maintain your effort and dedication in the long term. On the other hand, it’s worth mentioning that healthy habits also impact your mental health with almost immediate results. If you take on walking every day, for instance, you’ll rapidly notice small differences in your mood. Frequent activity reduces your stress levels, so you are going to feel less cranky. Additionally, because you’re more relaxed, you also fall asleep more quickly. 

Try out new cuisines

What dishes do you feel confident cooking? A lot of our favourite recipes leave little room for healthy eating. Take the traditional lasagna dish, for instance. It’s easy to turn it into a caloric bomb. If you are a pie or stew enthusiast, you also know that these can be heavy carbs while containing only a handful of veggies.

Sometimes, trying out new recipes can introduce you to new ways of making your meal healthy. Asian cuisine can be very useful for throwing together yummy vegetable-loaded meals. Korean cuisine has some smart and tasty options to get the most out of your vegetables, such as Kimchi or green onion recipes. And suddenly, you can discover new and entertaining ways of having your 5 a day. 

Add one hour of sleep 

Do you sleep enough? Most people could benefit from spending an extra hour in bed. We tend to go to bed too late and get up too early. What difference does one hour make? It’s huge when it comes to keeping a healthy routine. When you wake up feeling rested, you are less likely to: 

  • React negatively to stressful situations, 
  • Crave junk food, 
  • Lack the energy to work out.

One day at a time

There’s no need to overload your fitness plan with unsustainable activities. If you’re going to make your healthy routine a habit, you need to take things slowly. Do you want to exercise every day whenever possible? You have to train both your body and your mind to the challenge.

In other words, start with a small and achievable goal, such as making a raw fruit and vegetable smoothie every day or walking 30 minutes each evening. This is challenging enough to transform your routine but simple enough to maintain in the long term. You can gradually adjust your expectations and create new goals. 

Create a family playlist

Music is good for the soul. But it also works wonders on your mood. And sometimes, all you need to stay focused on your goals is a good playlist. Fitness playlist, rise and shine playlist, end of day playlist, call it what you wish. Creating a fit-for-purpose music selection will give you that boost of energy and motivation when you and your family need it most. 

Change your plates

Make your meals pretty. We eat as much with our eyes as we do with our mouth. But, our eyes often betray us. When you serve your meals on a large plate, for instance, you tend to overeat. On the other hand, using small and brightly coloured plates can keep your taste buds fresh and stop you from excessive portions! 

When it comes to your unhealthy habits, you need to focus your attention on dismantling the routine part of it. Habits, whether they are good or bad, offer instinctive guidance that we follow without questions. Therefore, being healthy begins with the battle against your darkest unhealthy habits. 

 

34 comments

  1. Oyy I wish I was healthier but I love bread and butter too much LOL and try as I might, still have not been able to sleep earlier BUT IT’S A NEW YEAR and I will keep trying ✊

  2. Making too much food because I’m hungry and then forcing myself to eat it because otherwise ‘it’s wasteful’

  3. I would like to eat less sugar this year and will make a real effort to do it as I always feel better and less sluggish when I cut down on sugary treats.

  4. I am back on my diet, after putting on two stone in lockdown. So I am kicking sugary food to the kerb.

  5. I’m slightly gutted – my plan this year was to run regularly 3 times a week – not massive runs or fast runs like a 3-5k in 30-45mins – 1. to improve my cardio which is shocking (I do weightlifting so I am strong but not cardio fit) 2. improve my mental health as i find exercise even when I am at my lowest makes me feel better and 3. Improve my sleep as getting regular exercise helps me improve my sleep hygiene. Howver, I fell over and smacked my head on new years eve, knocked myself out and gave myself a concussion so now I am on bed rest for another week – but starting later in the month is better than not at all

  6. I have some very unhealthy habits lately which I would love to shake off! Especially the one where I buy empty calories. Thank you for the tips to help with it!

  7. It took me the whole of 2021 to lose a stone in weight and over the xmas break put half a stone back on = gutted!

  8. I’d literally like to shake off these extra pounds i’ve been carrying about for the past 6 months. Mostly from overeating too much sugary carbs.

  9. I’m really trying to eat healthily this year. Getting a veggie and fruit box delivered is helping

  10. I’d like to shake off my unhealthy habit of using food or wine to celebrate or comfort myself

  11. Really need to get out and walk more to get my steps in. I’m great if the weather is nice but can’t be bothered on my days off to go out if it is raining or cold and dreary. Really need to push myself as I know I will always feel better after.

  12. I’m trying to enjoy a hot drink without a biscuit or cake. Not easy but luckily hubby doesn’teat biscuits so I’ve stopped buying them thus removing temptation

  13. Drinking alcohol each night which then leads to crisps chocolate and other snacks. Need to try and stop

  14. I’m trying to cut down on processed foods, I absolutely love beef & tomato pot noodles but know they are full of rubbish really.

  15. Oh I’d love to stop my monthly Chocolate cravings … I literally gorge myself….I’d bathe in it if I could lol

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