We get it – the very word ‘habits’ can bring flashbacks to when you felt as if you didn’t have enough willpower. But it’s not about that at all, experts say. “Habits are simply learnt behaviours that repeat when paired with a cue,” explains clinical psychologist Dr Laura Athey-Lloyd.
The science of habits
Any habit is formed by a cycle of positive reinforcements (things that make you feel good, at least for a while), Dr Athey-Lloyd adds. On the negative side, perhaps you graze on Tim Tams while watching TV. But, equally, maybe your morning coffee can remind you to do some gentle stretching. You get a reward for both habits, even if one is good for you and the other not so much.
This program is created to help you get good habits nailed down. The goal is for these lifestyle tweaks to become an easy and sustainable healthy-living routine you can continue building upon.
Week 1: Stay hydrated
Yes, we’re really making this a goal. Every single cell in your body needs water to function – water helps keep joints lubricated, regulates body temperature, delivers nutrients to your cells, assists in digestion and organ function and supports your sleep, mood, cognition and more. Since a woman’s body is about 55% water, you need to replenish your fluid stores frequently so all your systems can operate at their best. This means drinking between 2 and 2.5 litres, or 8–10 cups, of H2O every day.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Leave a large glass of water by your alarm clock and drink it first thing to help rehydrate your body after a night’s sleep. Then fill a jug with water and keep it in the fridge so you’ll have a visual cue for how much to consume for the day.
Make it attractive: Buy a pretty water bottle that you can take with you everywhere. If you find the taste of water uninspiring, try infusing it with mint or your favourite sliced citrus. Lemons are always a winner!
Make it easy: Fill up multiple water bottles in the evening and chill them, or buy one with a built-in straw, if that’s how you prefer to sip.
Make it satisfying: For a hydrating boost, have some unsweetened herbal tea. If you’re into fitness tracking, use an app that’ll give you a nice virtual reward at the end of the day.
Week 2: Sleep better
If you find it hard to get a good night’s sleep, you’re not alone: more than half of Australians struggle to sleep well, according to the Sleep Health Foundation, with women most likely to be overwhelmed by thoughts when trying to nod off. Research shows that solid rest is important for everything from mood to immunity. Establishing a regular bedtime routine can do wonders to optimise snooze time and help you unwind.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Put yourself to bed around the same time every night – that way it’ll be a habit, not a decision dictated by how gripping your latest binge-watch show is. Keep a book or a magazine (Prevention is good!) on your bedside table for screen-free unwinding, smooth on a night cream with a scent that tells you it’s bedtime, do some light stretching or find other forms of Zen to get you in the headspace for sleep.
Whatever it is, do the same thing every evening. Place your phone out of arm’s reach each night so you won’t be tempted to doom scroll; this tends to stimulate your brain instead of quieting it down. Plus, with your phone across the room, it’ll be impossible to hit snooze when your alarm goes off!
Make it attractive: Think cave when you’re setting up your bedroom for sleep, says sleep expert Dr Natalie Dautovich. She recommends keeping the bedroom dark (install blockout curtains if light is an issue) and keep it quiet and cool (less than 20°C). Make your bed with sheets that feel good to snuggle up in. Other experts recommend using lavender essential oil in a diffuser or mixing it with water and misting it on your pillow before bedtime – this lovely scent has been shown to have relaxing effects.
Make it easy: Try setting an alarm for when you need to put down electronic devices, about an hour or two before going to bed – the blue light digital screens emit is known to mess with the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone). If outside noise is an issue, try putting on a white noise machine or a fan to help drown it out.
Make it satisfying: Feeling rested and restored is its own reward, but you can celebrate a night of good sleep by serving up a yummy breakfast.
Week 3: Meditate for stress relief
Getting a handle on stress is a crucial part of total-body wellness. In the short term, anxiety or tension can make it harder to think or focus and send your mood on a roller-coaster ride. But, when it goes unmanaged for a while, chronic stress can increase your risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Meditation can be particularly beneficial. Many studies suggest that it can help with anxiety and depression as well as reduce worrisome or negative thoughts – all things that play a role in stress levels. There’s no ‘right way’ to meditate: the goal is to calm your mind, ignore all external distractions, such as road noise, and focus on your breathing.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Aim to meditate at a set time each day, perhaps as soon as you wake up or right before you go to bed. This establishes a routine so you’ll be less likely to push it off to the point where it never gets done.
Make it attractive: This is a treat for you, so change into comfy clothes and create a calm environment in a designated area where you won’t be interrupted. It’s traditional to sit on a cushion on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you, your spine upright and your shoulders relaxed, with your hands resting on your thighs or in your lap.
However, if you prefer lying down, sitting in a chair, standing or walking during your practice, those can work, too. The key is to be comfortable and not judge yourself. Breathe in slowly, then exhale. Focus on your breath as you allow your mind to become still and simply notice how you feel at that moment. Don’t despair if your mind wanders away – just gently bring your focus back to your breathing.
Make it easy: Guided meditations on YouTube or a meditation app, such as Headspace, Calm or Insight Timer, can help you get in the groove. Start with a minute a day and increase by a minute daily until you get to 10 or 20 minutes.
Make it satisfying: Check out an in-person or virtual meditation class and explore different types of meditation (for instance, meditation for anxiety, or for more creativity). And after meditating, notice as you go about your day any increase in calm or clarity you have. That awareness can help motivate you to keep up your new daily habit.
Week 4: Prep yummy, healthy meals
Meal prepping once a week can be a huge help when it comes to ensuring you’re eating plenty of vegies, wholegrains and lean protein. And it can help you avoid less healthy (and expensive) convenience meals that you turn to because you’re tired or busy.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: For a visual cue that today is meal-prep day, set out your recipes and pantry storage containers with ingredients the day before. If you’re making a big batch of roasted vegies so you can turn them into daily meals, set out cutting boards, knives and containers (or baking trays, oil and seasonings) so you’ll be reminded and ready to go.
Make it attractive: Buy a cookbook for recipe inspiration that’ll make you look forward to creating and eating.
Make it easy: You can cook a big meal and freeze individual portions for use throughout the week. Start by choosing just one meal you’d like to prep ahead for, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner (consider opting for the one you usually skip or eat out for). It’s fine to prep two or three of these meals before you try to hit all five days’ worth. Look for one-pot meals to make clean-up a breeze.
Make it satisfying: Prep meals for Monday through Thursday and treat yourself to lunch or dinner out with friends or family on Friday.
You meal prep grocery list
Stock up on these nutritious foods to make prepping meals a cinch.
- Frozen vegetables, starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, parsnips and sweet potatoes)
- Fresh vegetables (celery, carrots, capsicums and tomatoes)
- Sturdy greens (spinach, kale, turnip greens and bok choy)
- Wholegrains (oats, brown rice, barley and quinoa)
- Pulses (chickpeas, lentils and beans)
- Lean proteins (eggs, unsweetened Greek yoghurt, fresh/canned seafood, lean cuts of chicken, beef and pork)
- Fruit
- Nuts and seeds
Week 5: Eat more plants
Fruits and vegies are nature’s superfoods, as they’re packed with antioxidants and nutrients that can combat inflammation, promote heart health, reduce your risk of certain cancers, strengthen your immune system and improve your skin. Bonus: they’re good for your wallet, as meat is more expensive to buy than plant-based foods.
Instead of cutting out meat, focus on seeing where you can sneak in more plants this week. Can you introduce an extra serving of vegies at dinner? How about adding salad vegies to your sandwich at lunch? And have a piece of fruit to finish.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Keep a large bowl filled with fresh fruit on the kitchen table and place cut-up vegie sticks in containers or grab-and-go bags at the front of the fridge for easy access.
Make it attractive: Explore new dressings, condiments or dips to spice up the flavour of your vegetables, and serve meals on colourful or detailed plates.
Make it easy: Buy frozen vegetables, such as cauliflower, spinach and kale, or a combination of chopped veg to add to stir-fries, omelettes and smoothies. Also, there’s no shame in picking up some pre-cut or bagged produce, if you can afford it.
Make it satisfying: Record how much money you save when replacing meat with plants. You’ll soon find that you have plenty of extra cash to burn!
Week 6: Walk regularly
Let’s face it, most of us sit too much. And 77% of Australian adults don’t get the recommended minimum amount of physical activity each week (180 minutes – or just half an hour or so each weekday).
Walking is one of the best types of exercise there is. Studies suggest that a regular stroll can help reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases, improve mood and support mental health. So, aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking a day. It’s totally okay if you can’t manage that to start with. If you put these tips into action, you’ll be walking much longer in no time!
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Keep sneakers in your car or at work so you can take a lunchtime stroll. Set a daily walk phone reminder and block out time on your calendar.
Make it attractive: Download an interesting podcast or audiobook or make a motivating music playlist you can listen to only when you’re hoofing it; vary your route so you’re constantly seeing new things, or bring along a friend or your pet.
Make it easy: Start with a five-minute walk each day and then increase this by a few minutes or a few hundred steps weekly. Taking the long way to the bathroom or kitchen at work adds to the count!
Make it satisfying: Reward yourself with your favourite coffee or that pair of high-tech sneakers you’ve had your eye on. Track your steps with a smartwatch or a fitness app to really hit your target.
Week 7: Eat mindfully
Your entire eating experience is enhanced when you do it mindfully. By slowing down and focusing on the food – how it looks, how it tastes, how it feels in your mouth – you encourage yourself to make more nutritious choices and foster a healthier relationship with food. And when you’re not shovelling it in or zoning out in front of your TV, the meal itself will be that much more satisfying.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: Remove phones and electronics from the kitchen at the beginning of mealtime to minimise distractions.
Make it attractive: Set out a nice decorative tablescape or use dishware that brings you joy.
Make it easy: Choose foods you like that are simple to prepare. Pour a tall glass of water and take little sips between the different types of food on your plate to cleanse your palate between bites.
Make it satisfying: Take a relaxing post-meal walk, share funny stories with family or create an uplifting clean-up playlist.
How to become a mindful eater
Assess how you feel
Being slightly hungry is okay, but anything closer to ravenous can make it difficult to slow down and eat mindfully. Healthy meals and snacks throughout the day will ensure you have an appetite at mealtimes but aren’t starving.
Start with gratitude
Take a minute or two to pause and appreciate the food in front of you. Choose to be present and focus on gratitude for your body, this incredible meal and everything and everyone that went into preparing it.
Limit distractions
Silence your phone, turn off the TV and sit down at the table (not on the sofa!) so you’re fully present for the meal. One study found that people’s memory of a meal was significantly dampened when distracted.
Use your senses
Pay attention to the flavours in your meal and the aroma of the food. How does it sound when you chew it? Does it feel crunchy or smooth when you take a bite? Is it hot or cool? Do any of the tastes or textures change or intensify as you continue eating? These are examples of questions you can ask yourself during the mindful eating experience.
Slow down
Take time to chew your food, savour the taste and really appreciate each bite. If you find that you’re still going too fast, try to set your fork down after every few bites. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that it’s full, so give yourself time to digest the meal and get in tune with the feeling of fullness and satisfaction you receive from eating.
Week 8: Maintain motivation
We all have challenging days, but don’t let lack of energy or a bad mood derail your healthy habits. The goal is to make this new lifestyle a lifelong practice, something that’s as natural to your routine as brushing your teeth. And if negative thoughts are holding you back, be kind to yourself – you don’t have to be perfect to move forward. You can replace that ‘I’m so lazy today!’ inner chatter with things like ‘I did fabulously yesterday!’ And remind yourself of why you’re committing to these healthful habits – and simply do your best.
Sticky habit tips
Make it obvious: A visual nudge can help you adhere to your goals. Take inspiration from research that found that signage urging people to take the stairs increased stair usage by more than 50%. So, whatever your target is, put a positive written prompt near a decision point – for instance, a sticky note on the refrigerator – to remind you of your new habits. (Phone alerts are useful, too.)
Make it attractive: Add music to help make things feel less like an annoying chore. UK researchers discovered that runners who listened to motivational rock or pop tunes exercised for up to 15% longer – and felt better doing it. A kitchen dance party with friends may even help make something like meal prep more appetising.
Make it easy: Begin with small, achievable goals, such as a one-minute meditation, a 10-minute walk or eating mindfully every other day. You don’t need to kill it every single day.
Make it satisfying: Once a week, journal, or sit back and think, about your accomplishments in your healthy habits, how far you’ve come and what you’re still looking forward to achieving. Give yourself the credit you deserve. Well done, you!
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