3 Healthy Habits to Kick-Start 2023
Tips to start 2023 with the right intention. so, let’s dive in
We’re halfway through the month of January.
This is the perfect time to tighten the seat belts and gear up to set an intention and build the right habits. I know the kind of resolutions we set for ourselves each year. and how often do you find yourself sticking to those habits in a long run? a week…a month ??
For a habit to stick around, there are 4 laws of behavior change
- Make it Satisfying
- Make it Obvious
- Make it attractive
- Make it Easy ( This is what James Clear tells us in his book Atomic Habits)
Let’s understand with the help of an example —
You want to lose 15 lbs and you’re trying to cut calories. you cut high-calorie snacks, colas, and other junk food items from your diet. your end result is losing x pounds and gaining health.
- Make it obvious — to cut back on high-calorie snacks, colas, and junk you stop buying them in the first place. or keep them away so you can’t discover them easily. The idea is to increase the friction to perform an action. keep apples on the dining table so whenever you feel hungry you grab an apple instead of going for a bunch of candy bars.
2. Make it satisfying — associate the clean diet you’re following with a reward. promise your favorite cup of coffee, a lunch date, or a bubble bath after you’ve taken a desired action.
3. Make it attractive — when a habit is pleasing and interesting to you you’re more likely to stick with it in the long run. so if you’re desired goal is to lose weight. do things that you find more interesting and enjoy doing.
So let’s say you seem to enjoy walking or doing yoga at home better than working out at the gym so be it. find out ways to make your habits more interesting suiting your unique routine and lifestyle.
4. Make it Easy- keep all the healthy options of food items on the front shelf of the kitchen. The idea is to increase the friction for the undesired action and decrease the friction for the type of action supporting our goals.
For example, You want to go out for a jog the next morning. do a short prep a night before keeping your clothing, water bottle, or other things ready.
These are fundamentals to make habits for you and not against you.
3 health habits to kick start 2023 —
1. Meditate—
Meditation came into my life about 2 years back and ever since there has been no looking back.
How often do we listen to people on podcasts, social media, or in person tell us about the benefits of meditating? we know it’s good for us but still can't find a way to start.
Let me be the 100th person telling you to meditate, I don't care. I recommend starting meditation in 2023. Let’s make the change happen.
You can start slowly initially with 5 mins and then slowly increase the duration. Find out what you enjoy doing, is it a guided meditation, focusing on the breath, or meditating alongside light music? find the right place for yourself and remember your goal is to show up every day. even if it is for 2 mins. Trust me it works.
2. Reading —
Another exciting healthy habit is to reduce your screen time i.e not checking your phone immediately after waking up and also throughout the day and instead reading 2–3 pages of your fav book. Pick up any book of your choice that has been lying for days on your bookshelf all dust-ridden.
Watching less or no television( Netflix, Hotstart), especially refraining from news channels and heated debates. In today's world where any information is just a few clicks away. it’s crucial to choose what nourishes your mind and what clutters and confuses you.
“You become what you feed your mind”
3. Fasting
Last but not least, another exciting healthy habit is to start fasting or intermittent fasting.
The first two habits are for your mind and the third one is for your body. This is an immensely powerful habit if done in the right way. fasting has so many benefits not only physical but mental as well. In ayurveda, it’s said that one should have their last meal at the sunset, and it’s also believed that our bodies are capable of healing on their own. if we give enough gaps between meals chances are your body will clear the toxins and throw other waste out of the body, thus preventing so many diseases.
Initially, start with 14 hr fast so let’s say you have your dinner by 8 pm, then have your next meal around 10 am in the morning. as time progresses and when the body gets adapted to eating in a restricted time frame, increase the time of fasting to 16 hrs.
I myself lost most of my extra pounds with IF. and also reversed my Thyroid. I cured it naturally mostly with IF and yoga w/o any sort of medical intervention.
Note- If you have any chronic disease like thyroid, BP, or diabetes, please consult your physician before starting with IF.
Final Thoughts
We all want to live healthy and happy life. Let’s take this challenge of improving our lives for the better. It’s only when we are healthy and happy we can think of achieving other big things in life.
There will be times when it will not be easy and you’ll want to go back to your old habits. you'll fall in love with your new self. Don't give up. and remember —
“The pain of discipline is always less than the pain of regret” — Nido R.Quebein
