Bad Habits Lead To Late Nights
Did Ed have a point? We have all seen how he has made positive changes in his life that has meant he is healthier. Whether you are Ed Sheeren or Bob down the road, we all form good and bad habits in the same way. In this article, we at David Jones Personal Training will help you to understand how to create new habits.
All habits form in the same way:
- Cue – Your tummy rumbles
- Craving – I need food
- Response – Eat food
- Reward – A chemical response in your brain making you feel better
This action happens many times per day. Some actions/habits will have a positive effect and some will have negative effects. But, now you know how habits are formed, you can use that structure to create new positive habits. Just like a journey made up of many steps, it is best to work on small achievable changes that you can build on over time.
Firstly, identify a bad habit and a habit that you would like to change it to. This could be not exercising and therefore you want to go for a run. To go for that run, use the following process:
Make it obvious: Start walking before you run as any new habits need an effortless solution.
Make it attractive: This could be listening to your favourite podcast or music whilst running so you are thinking about that instead of the run.
Make it easy: Prepare your running clothes before the run and have it all in one place so that they are easy to access. Also, place your trainers by the front door. You need to remove all barriers.
Make it immediately satisfying: Instant reward is key to reinforcing behaviours so have your favourite smoothy ready to drink when you get home. Better still, congratulate yourself for being successful and going for the run. Have your partner give you a hug and tell you well done for getting it done.
To form positive habits, you need to have a positive identity. For example, rather than thinking I am unhealthy and I should start weight watchers. Think, I am a healthy person and therefore I make healthy choices like eating whole, fresh foods.
These are just a few of the basic steps when it comes to changing habits. It does take time and practice but if you follow the right processes and structure, you will succeed.
Now is a great time to make changes and we have the perfect solution for you with our 6-week reboot challenge. To book in, call Karl on 07485 191790 or email karl@davidjonespersonaltraining.co.uk. If you have any questions, please also feel free to contact us today.
