Simple Habit Shifts
Doing one of these five things will change everything. These simple habits will change your life.
I realize it’s a bold claim, but think about it. Most often its the littlest things that snap us out of a bad mood, prevent us from sending an email that most likely didn’t need to see the light of day, or even ordering that “comfort meal” from Postmates.
Changing a habit, especially a deeply ingrained one, is not fun and not for the faint at heart. It takes 14-21 days for a new habit to stick. And often times it’s easier to swap habits - a bad one for a good one, or an annoying one to a slightly less annoying one - and have them stick. Ever wonder why you see alot of donut boxes at AA meetings on TV? Habit for a lesser habit. However, a simple habit that will change your life is often the lesser of two evils.
Let’s get started with five habits that can make a big difference in your day, simple habits to make yourself better:
Light a candle: at the end of a day or the beginning of one take a moment to light your favorite candle, breathe in and out for 15 seconds, and enjoy the new scent surrounding your area. This habit hits your smelling sense and immediately sends different signals to the brain, triggering the release of relaxing chemicals in your body.
Chew your food: are you also guilty of standing over the sink and eating a meal? Sure, you’re not dirtying a dish, but you’re also not making a mind body connection to your food. Put what you’re eating on a plate, sit at the table in a proper chair, and slowly chew your food. Why is this important? This fires the neurons in your brain and releases your hunger hormones. You’ve spent years eating this way and it’s your body’s way of telling you when you’re hungry and full. Listen to it.
Sit in the shower: Or if you’re a bath person, stand in the bath. Do something you wouldn’t normally do at this time. This gets you out of an existing habit and forces you to look at the act of getting clean from a different perspective. Sort of like how a toddler would approach it. If you took a bath standing up, what tools would you need to bring in to wash your hair? If you showered sitting down, how would you ensure all of your areas are getting the right amount of soap?
Scream: We all hold alot of tension in our bodies that we don’t know how to release. Again, think of a child. Irrationally they scream and yell when they cannot find the words or aren’t able to communicate what they want or need. What if you did the same? Go in your garage or in your car (somewhere private) and scream until you feel something. Most often it will be strong emotions that are releasing and finding their way out of your body and your nervous system relaxing.
Walk backwards: We walk to get everywhere we need to go and most of the time if it’s a routine, we walk mindlessly. What about turning around and walking backwards through your most patterned moments? Of course, exercise safety and caution with your surroundings, but what about starting somewhere very small. Each time you walk to the bathroom, walk there backwards. Or if you forget, walk backwards out of the bathroom. Then try it in other places in your life. You almost always forget about what’s bothering you, because you’re focused on changing something so ingrained in your day to day life.
I hope you feel ready to take on a few of these simple habits to improve your health. One at a time and sticking with it can make you feel great and give you more tools for your toolbox.