Small Changes for Long Term Success

We all have habits that we would like to change. Maybe you are a nail biter, you forget to put the cap back on the toothpaste, you are a smoker, or you turn to less healthy food options when you are stressed. Changing habits can be daunting no matter how big or small. When looking to make changes for long term success, it’s important to focus on one goal at a time. Trying to change everything all at once can be overwhelming and will often lead to feelings of discouragement and possibly throwing in the towel all together. 

When thinking about something you want to change or accomplish, write it down! Be specific as possible (you can read more about SMART goal setting here). Once you know what you want your goal to be, develop a plan. This plan should be small things you can do each day to support your long term plan. For example, if you want to quit drinking soda altogether, a first step is to reduce your daily consumption by one can for a week. After that week, you can reduce your soda consumption to one can every other day and replace your soda with infused water (some of our favorites include lemon slices, lime slices, orange slices, watermelon cubes, mint leaves, or even jalapeno slices). Once you feel comfortable with drinking only one can of soda every other day, you can scale back to one can once per week or only on special occasions. 

When making changes, it is important to take small steps so you don’t feel like you are being deprived. When we feel deprived, we often over-consume or binge. Many times, a binge can lead to unhealthy thought patterns, shame, and continuing unhealthy behaviors. 

Join our Weekly Wellness Chat

If you would like to learn more or dive into conversation with others, please join us each Wednesday from 12-12:30 MST for our Weekly Wellness Chat with a Health Coach! 

February’s topics include Creating a Habit, Breaking it Down, Heart Health, and Ask a Coach! Learn more here.