Study more, read more, exercise, eat healthy, go out more, go out less, sleep eight hours... How many times have we failed trying to incorporate a routine into our daily lives? With these tips, we will achieve it. The same every time
It's inevitable, we finish a year and review what we want to improve for the next one. And it doesn't matter how many pieces of paper we burn, light candles to saints, or go counterclockwise: if we don't follow a method to incorporate the routines we want into our daily lives, no magic will make us finally go to the gym or study more.
If it wasn't hard, we wouldn't have to force ourselves
Any achievement in life requires a process. We study to get our university degree, we obtain the
eTítulo to have a good job, we exercise to take care of ourselves and feel good, we eat properly to be healthy... It's not just a matter of snapping our fingers and done, what we want to achieve almost always requires constancy and dedication that, in some cases, is lifelong.
Loving the meanwhile
That's why, although we must not lose sight of our goals, it's important to value the process and celebrate it. This way, we will avoid frustration and abandonment. That «process» is nothing more than incorporating routines, it's just that it sounds less appealing. If we really want to make changes in ourselves, this is what we have to do: learn to incorporate and love our routines. It's not that difficult, let's see 10 tricks to achieve it.
1. Set realistic and gradual goals
If we have high cholesterol, it's absurd to think that by eating salad for a week it will go away. It's about eating well every day with exceptions and not eating badly all the time, except for exceptions. And like that, with everything else. If we set small goals, like eating well for seven consecutive days, and celebrate it, it's easier for us to want to continue eating well for another seven days (note: the celebration doesn't have to be fried chicken and cake, we can also go to a place we like, treat ourselves, see our friends, etc.). By setting achievable goals, we progress progressively and have a constant sense of achievement that helps us not to give up.
2. Create habits anchored in a current routine
By linking new routines to existing habits, we take advantage of the mental structure that we already have established. The habit stacking technique works. For example, since we already brush our teeth every night, it will be much easier for us to include the routine of washing our face and applying cream at that time than if we try to do it in the middle of the afternoon. Creating a schedule of new routines - such as sleeping at certain times, studying, or exercising - that fits our lifestyle and does not excessively modify the previous schedule, will make our body and mind better adapt to these predictable patterns. The brain wants to work less
and doesn't like changes. Let's keep that in mind.
3. Start slowly
Related to the first point, but different from it: we have to start with small and specific actions and gradually increase the difficulty. If we want to exercise, we start with 10 minutes a day. Over time, we can increase the duration and difficulty of the routine. When we set a goal, we are very motivated and want to, right away, be able to do feats and see results as soon as possible. Any trainer, psychologist, or person with common sense would tell us the same thing: doing too much at the beginning means giving up faster. To incorporate a routine, we have to go from less to more.
4. Involve a routine buddy
Sharing new routines with friends or family not only makes it more fun but also provides mutual support and accountability. A bit of competitiveness and a bit of companionship will keep us more motivated, and social pressure will make it harder to quit.
5. Find pleasure in what we do
It's important that we make an effort to enjoy the routines. It may sound impossible, right? If we liked it, we would have done it before. The truth is, to enjoy some things, we have to make a little effort at first and look for the good side, but it's possible to achieve it easily. Our brain, besides being a bit lazy, seeks pleasure (even when it harms us), so let's give it to it so that any new routine can become an ingrained habit. We need to find ways to make our activities more enjoyable, whether by fostering our
curiosity during studying to find interest and application or by choosing exercises that we truly enjoy. No matter how much we want to have a defined body, if lifting weights seems extremely boring to us, let's try sports like climbing or calisthenics.
6. Use reminders
Since we want to do something we didn't do before, there may be days when we forget. Until the routine is internalized, placing visual reminders in key places or setting alarms on our phone will help us not to forget it, either unintentionally or intentionally (which also happens). Let's remember that alarms can be turned off, but notes cannot. Reminders can be a note on the fridge to remind us that we want to eat healthily, on the bathroom mirror to remind us of the acne cream, or on the table so that we don't forget that we have to study from five to eight. Repetition and visual signals reinforce memory and the need to comply with the routine.
7. Create an environment conducive to the routine
Designing our environment to support the routines will help us. This could be having a quiet and suitable study space or having our sports shoes ready for exercise. An environment that supports our goals makes it easier for us to follow the routines.
8. Be flexible
Life changes, and routines must adapt. In addition, excessive rigidity can lead to demotivation. Let's accept that there will be difficult days and that we can adapt the routines as necessary. But let's not take this as a rule but as an exception because if we want to turn an activity into a routine, we will have to make an effort until we do it without having to think about it. When it becomes automatic and normal in our lives, we will have achieved it.
9. Positive and emotional reinforcement
We said it at the beginning. Celebrating small achievements is vital for all of this to work. We have to reward ourselves for the effort so as not to
lose motivation. Besides, we must remind ourselves why that routine is important to us. Whether it's for health, personal development, or achieving goals, understanding the emotional significance will strengthen our commitment.
10. Persistence, patience, and damage control
Habit formation takes time, but if done well, it's not as hard as it seems. With a little patience and persistence, we will soon see results. Before starting to incorporate any routine, one thing we must keep in mind is that we can fail. And not only can we, but we must assume that it will happen and that it's not serious. Blaming ourselves will do us no good, so if we stumble one day, we resume the routine the next day and be happy for having continued. Let's celebrate it!
