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We strive to achieve healthy habits. It is the beginning of the year, a time for a fresh start on new habits or lifestyle routines. Changing your habits can be a process, however, adopting new healthier habits in the new year can be done. To achieve your results in 2023 and beyond, use these three tips below to ensure your habits become a part of your lifestyle.

• Plan it out
• Start small, change one thing at a time
• Ask for support

Plan your healthy habits:

Are you looking to be more active? Increase physical activity and exercise? Eat more fruits and vegetables? Wake up earlier? Write out your goals that you want to accomplish. Habits you want to change and a new daily routine to make your new year your healthiest one yet.

Making a plan allows you to take smaller steps to better health. Changing everything at once can feel overwhelming. There might be a sense of excitement, but it is best to slow down. Take time to reflect. Ask yourself what goal is most important to you right now.

Choose to change one behavior at a time to improve your success. As the new behavior becomes part of your daily habit, add in other goals you want to achieve. This ensures your new habits will stick. Furthermore, planning will allow you to establish your long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals are habits you want to achieve within the next year. Additionally, short-term goals are goals you would want to achieve within the next six months. Identifying these goals will help you to start small, be specific and measure your success.

For example, if you wanted to increase your fruit intake, start by having fruit with your lunch three times a week for the next three weeks. You would be creating a weekly SMART goal. Otherwise known as a goal, that is specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. By creating these smaller SMART goals, it helps you reach your short-term goal and eventually leads you to your bigger longer-term goal you set out to achieve.

Start small:

Deciding to change your habits can be a process. It may take some time, consistency, hard work and focus to make changes. Starting small will help the process and prepare you to be successful. With your plan in place, start to put it into action. If your long-term goal is to lose weight by the end of the year, use your smaller daily habits to help achieve your smaller short-term goals and achieve your larger goal at the end of the year.

Your plan is a road map to help you on your journey to better habits. Starting small will help you create the habit you want and fit into your lifestyle. It takes time to create the habit and your daily routine.

If your plan is to exercise more, achieving a goal of four times per week for thirty minutes a day by June 1^st and you are currently sedentary, how would you achieve your goal?

Start by reviewing your day-to-day habits and routine. Where could you fit in ten minutes of movement one day per week? If it is early in the morning on a Tuesday or afternoon on a Friday, it does not matter, as long as it works in your schedule, in your routine and for you. Once you determine a day that works for you, stick with it, stay with your routine. After three weeks of ten minutes of activity one day per week, increase the time to fifteen minutes. Then add in another day per week that works in your schedule for ten minutes of movement. Keep building upon your days and times slowly. Every three weeks, check in with yourself and your goals until you achieve your bigger goal of exercising four times per week for thirty minutes a day.

This can be done with other daily habits too such as brushing your teeth, stretching, eating healthier, going to bed early, waking up earlier and so much more. When you start small and you achieve that goal you have for yourself, celebrate your success, you did it!

Ask for support on your healthy habits:

As you are starting to work on your habits and health goals, remember that no one is perfect. We have our days with occasional mistakes and the journey ahead may be full of curves as we are growing and evolving. Take a breather and be kind to yourself. Stay focused on your goals, and remember, the next day is a new day to get back on track.

When you are making changes and going through the habit loop to create new habits and routines, asking for support will help keep you motivated and accountable to your goals. It could be a friend, co-worker, family member, partner, or spouse to speak with daily about your wins or struggles, go to the gym with you, or cook healthy meals together. Our social networks can help to influence our behaviors. Accepting help from those close to you will strengthen your resilience and commitment to your habits and help you stick with your new daily routines.

Treo can help!

Our platform connects users to resources that build mental and physical resilience, so members can work on healthy habits they care about and explore the science behind how these habits work. Through tracking and the option of wellness coaching, we support members as they improve the daily behaviors that benefit wellbeing. Treo’s whole-person platform offers members the option of tracking the habits that are most important to them. We also offer video content directly addressing the top habits for specific health goals. Interested in learning more? Let’s get in touch!