Those healthy habits, among others, became ingrained in many people’s daily routines. Adjusting to the loss of them, and finding the motivation to pick back up, can be hard. However, making and maintaining healthy habits can be attainable. Here are my tips for doing just that: I’ve seen patients’ bodies break down due to “healthy” habits, like overexercising, undereating, or eliminating nutritious foods groups from their diets. If you begin to notice obsessive behaviors or negative effects from setting a habit, it’s no longer healthy. A genuinely healthy habit should consistently boost your mood, your energy levels, and your desire to be involved in your own life and other people’s lives. There should be a level of joy attached—not a feeling of responsibility, dread, or anxiety. Many times people will attempt to lose weight to fit into a certain dress, look a certain way in pictures, or hit a certain number on the scale. These are “immediate-reward” goals, and the moment any of them change (say the number shifts 3 pounds higher than you wanted), negative chatter enters the brain, and you can begin to lose motivation. Instead of setting immediate-reward goals, find long-term, sustainable inspiration. For example: I want to lose weight so I can have more time with my family. I want to be more energetic. I want to be able to run a marathon without my knees hurting. Rather than committing to walking 6 miles every day, try this: After breakfast, I am going to take a five-minute walk around the neighborhood. When you start doing this consistently, you can increase the amount of time you spent walking, or keep it the same if it makes you feel good. While these may not be what you initially had in mind for healthy goals, they have all been shown to improve mood and lead to longer, healthier lives. Once you feel healthier and happier in the presence of others, it may encourage you to be healthier in other aspects of your life, too. Along with patience, you also need to maintain compassion for yourself. When developing a new habit, the chance of being successful the first time is rare. Think about it: When you first learned to walk, you stumbled plenty of times. If a new habit doesn’t stick the first time, the second time, or even the third, try not to internalize those unsuccessful attempts. Failing in an action doesn’t make you a failure as a person. She is the author of three books designed to empower the individual to get started on their path to optimal health. She has published extensively on the topics of reducing stress, healthy lifestyle choices, slowing down the progression of chronic diseases and regaining youthfulness. Harry has been featured and is a regular contributor to Forbes, Elite Daily, Bustle, Woman’s Day, and Thrive Global and continues to be featured on television nationwide on HLN, Fox, ABC, and NBC.
