With the new year just around the corner, there’s a lot of conversation surrounding the adage “New Year, a new me” and the pressure to stick to resolutions. And while the intention may be positive, the approach can create unnecessary spirals of fear, guilt, or doubt.
We asked mental health experts for advice on how to form a healthy habit – and more importantly – how to successfully integrate it into your daily life. Luckily, they had lots of easy-to-follow advice to share.
Achieving our goals and improving our lives is about using mindfulness to create new healthy habits and stick with them. It’s an approach that’s gentle but effective, and can be used as we try to keep our New Year’s resolutions, reignite our love life, stop drinking too much coffee, or start a skincare routine.
And best of all, these tips don’t require us to start our lives all over again.
What is a healthy habit?
A healthy habit is a repeated, consistent practice performed with the goal of improving our well-being over time. “They are the things we do routinely that nourish us mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally – not just in the short term, but also in the long term,” explains Byron Young, MD., psychiatrist, mental health advisor and member of the scientific research council at Home-made.
In other words, a healthy habit isn’t just about receiving a quick hit of dopamine, it’s about playing the long game to benefit your body, mind, and spirit. “This can be confusing because sometimes what feels good is bad for us, but what feels bad is actually good for us,” explains Anthony Townsend clinical psychologist and co-founder of EQNMT. “But ultimately, a healthy habit is defined by its ability to bring you closer to what you personally value, not by whether it feels good at the time.”
This is especially important to remember in this age of now, now, now and more, more, more. “We are seduced into believing that everything should give us instant gratification and we want the quick fix,” says psychodermatologist and somatic healing coach Keira Barr, MD “But healthy habits are about real nutrition and developing a practice or system that creates a sustainable lifestyle.”
Lean on what nourishes you
To achieve that, we first need to get clear about what real food means to us personally. Barr recommends thinking about the activities you already do that make you feel like the best version of yourself. Do you feel good after taking a bath and listening to guided meditations? Call your mother on the way to work? Want to do yoga with your bestie? Ask yourself “what actions will give you lasting energy and support throughout the day, weeks and months,” she advises. “Nurturing yourself is about providing the food, sleep, exercise and experiences that actually allow you to live life the way you choose.”
