A habit is a form of behavior that occurs on a subconscious level, in which there is no thinking, but our actions are performed without our will, necessarily, without the active participation of consciousness. Everything happens automatically as if we are on autopilot. In order for the behavior to become a habit, it is necessary to repeat it often. Many times! It is the biggest and only “secret” when it comes to forming habits.
New habits can enrich our lives in many ways, and make us healthier, happier, and better.
What are healthy habits and which ones to adopt?
For starters, have breakfast before coffee
Here is what research shows, why coffee is not good before meals.
- When we drink it before breakfast, coffee increases the amount of stomach acid, which over time can cause stomach problems, such as ulcers and intestinal irritation.
- Coffee increases the feeling of stress and affects hormones. The main reason why coffee increases the feeling of stress is the imbalance that caffeine creates between hormones. Coffee on an empty stomach reduces the secretion of serotonin, the hormone of happiness.
So the advice is: start the day with either fruit or a light breakfast, before coffee. These are healthy living habits that will help your health!
Stretch!
The belief that only gymnastics should be done as a morning exercise to fill the body with strength, is wrong. It is true that stretching exercises strengthen the body and give strength. Stretching is a great way to tighten the body, reduce stress and tension, which press us to think about a new day. It only takes 5 minutes to stretch your body and feel greater mobility and enthusiasm.
Let this habit become your morning routine. Healthy habits, such as morning stretching, can make it easier for you to exercise physically and enter a new day.
Do not judge yourself or others
The basic mistake in interpersonal relationships is to judge others! When we condemn other people’s actions, we are in fact trying to take control of situations that cannot be under our control.
Someone who did not meet our expectations should not be seen as bad, but as they are. People should not be seen as “right” or “wrong”, but as different! Often, our need to judge others is a consequence of a lack of strength to work on our mistakes and weaknesses.
The same goes for judging yourself. Self-acceptance – looking at oneself as a person, with virtues and flaws, instead of cultivating criticism, leads to a significant change of self and an increase in love for ourselves Healthy life habits of non-judgment lead to deeper love, which we should always have, for ourselves and others.
The key to change is in us! To find the solution to the problem, we need to look within ourselves. Focus on changing personal patterns of behavior and beliefs, instead of judging yourself and others.
Get a good night’s sleep
How to adopt healthy habits of good sleep is also a common question, in today’s pace of life. Most adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Why is it important? A good night’s sleep has many benefits for us:
- We will get sick less often
- We will improve both mental and physical abilities and mood
- We will think more clearly and be more successful in the workplace
- We will make better decisions and avoid injuries that happen through insomnia
Healthy sleep habits will determine bedtime routines:
- By going to bed at the same time, no later than 11 pm every night
- Keep your bedroom clean and ventilated, clean and quiet
- Avoid eating, talking, or watching TV in bed
- Try not to think about the things that worry you when you go to bed
Healthy habits for a healthy life, spend a good night’s sleep!
Plan and write down your plans
At the end of each day, make a list of things to do the next day. Plan! Completing these tasks and striking them off the list, will further motivate you and help you be even more productive. Also, organize your calendar and write down important meetings or events a few days in advance that you should not miss. Sometimes it’s hard to remember so many things to do, so lists are always a good idea.
Adopt a new hobby
A hobby should be an integral part of our lives because with its help, we get rid of the daily stress and routine to which we are exposed. With the help of hobbies, we can cheer up, relax, and get ready for further work tasks with less stress and more productivity.
Even when we do a job we love, that job is certainly stressful and takes away a lot of our energy and willpower. With a hobby, we can make up for what our job has taken away from us, and that will be good for us, for the job and for the people we work with.
Let love, according to what you like to do, open the way to your hobby, be it reading, painting, photography, making some objects with your hand… anything that pleases your heart.
Take a walk every day
Healthy habits would not be complete without practicing taking a stroll every day. Walking is generally the best type of physical activity for the body, because it has incredible health benefits, especially a fast walk of 30-45 minutes. These are just some of the benefits that really make it a habit to include walking every day:
- Reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s
- It tightens the muscles of the body
- Improves heart function and lowers blood pressure
- Improves colon health
- It lifts the mood
- Beats glaucoma
- Effectively removes extra pounds
Walking, if you can afford it in nature, included in your healthy habits will be your best doctor.
Habits are inevitable and we cannot destroy them, nor prevent their formation. But we can learn to consciously focus their energy on those behaviors that help our development and more meaningful life. All these habits define who we really are and what our destiny is. And that is why – by changing our habits, we also change our character, and when we change our character, then we are the creators of our own destiny!
Don’t give up on good changes yourself!