I want to talk a little bit about something called Microhabits. It’s a concept that means you begin to attach small changes to routine tasks you do every day. Here is an example… When you get up and make your coffee, you take your supplements. That really drives up compliance and takes something that is easily forgotten or pushed aside and makes it a habit that is sure to happen every day. Another great example is exercise. A lot of people struggle with consistency. To get some benefits without making a major life change, start with 10 squats when you get out of bed and 10 before you get into bed. It just might be the push you need to get started with exercise.
The idea is that attaching small changes to things you are already doing everyday leads to consistency and reproducibility. That will ultimately lead to results. Everyone is going to have a list that looks a bit different depending on what habits they need to create, but here are some great suggestions. These things seem so small that they just might feel insignificant, but they really do lead to true change over time.
1) Write down 3 things that you are grateful for each morning before you begin your day.
2) Take 10 deep breaths before you get out of bed in the morning and right when you lay down to go to sleep. This helps reset the nervous system and reduce stress. Something we can all benefit from!
3) Drink 8-16 ounces of water every hour. I recommend consuming 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight, so adjust this accordingly
4) Read 2 pages of an inspirational, non-fiction book that helps you become better or learn something
5) Read one chapter of the bible or whatever aligns with your spiritual views
6) Get to bed by 10 PM each night. The most restorative sleep you will get happens between 10 PM and 2 AM, so make the most of it!
7) Shut down technology after a certain time. I like to recommend 9 PM. This gives your brain time to shut down before falling asleep. This means turning off the news, social media, tablets, TV, Etc. Set an alarm if you need to .
8) Stop eating after dinner. This will help cut out mindless snacking on foods that are usually not healthy.
9) Weight yourself each morning. This might be debated by some, but I believe in keeping a daily eye on this. This prevents you from gaining 10 lbs. without noticing. It’s much easier to drop a pound or two that wait until you have 10 to lose.
10) Take your supplements when you drink your morning coffee (or fill up your water bottle if you don’t drink coffee).
I hope this gives you some great ideas on how you can use small changes to make a big impact on your health.
To get the most out of this information, I recommend sitting down and assessing where you currently are with your health and where you want to go. What are your goals? Once you do that, you can create a list of microhabits that will help you get there.
If I can be of any assistance to you on your journey to better health, please reach out and schedule a free call to get your action plan in place. Myself and my team are here to help!
To your health,
Dr. Jeni
