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If I mention the word habit to you, no doubt your mind will be filled with bad habits that people possess, such as nail biting, finger tapping and leg swinging.

However, not all habits are negative and building up a new routine involves creating new one, ensuring that we feel at ease with the changes in our lives.

These new habits that you’re trying to form could be related to your physical health and fitness, in an attempt to fight the lockdown flab, such as walking 10,000 steps a day or taking part in a Zumba class once a week, or they could be linked to your mental wellbeing, like making time for yourself to read at the end of each day or putting your phone away more regularly. There are countless areas in our lives where forming new habits could help improve things.

Unfortunately, getting into the habit of doing something is usually much easier said than done. Bad habits are picked up so easily, but positive ones are way more challenging. However, if you break it down into a three-step process, it should be much easier to follow until that new routine becomes second nature.

Establish what is your new habit is

First of all, it is vital that you decide what the new habit is going to be. Be as precise as possible. For example, it is imperative to not just come up with ‘exercising more often’. Instead, opt more a more specific goal, such as, “I will head outside for a 30-minute walk at least five days a week”.  Once you know the area in your life that you want to overhaul, deciding on a new habit and committing to how and when you’re going to stick to it will make a big difference in your life.

Establish how you will remember to do it

The first few days of habit-making should be pretty easy. You’ll be determined, even excited to put something new into practice. However, after a few days, things might get tricky and you may start to see old habits slipping back into your life. 

Perhaps the weather isn’t so great and you’re doubting your desire to go out for that walk you’ve promised you will do. Alternatively, you may have had a tricky day at work or you have just been so busy and spending more time outside could be the last thing on your mind. If that sounds like you, then this is all the more reason to set yourself some sort of daily reminder. You could set up an alert in your calendar app or add it to your diary or to-do list each day.

Establish how you will make it part of your routine

Here’s the last step. Before a new habit becomes ingrained into your daily routine, it takes time. So, until then, try to establish a solid routine that will work to your advantage until that moment. Well before the new behaviour happens automatically, structure in your daily life will help you do it without even using much willpower or even needing those daily reminders anymore. 

So, making that daily walk part of your routine after you’ve eaten tea, before you do the dishes perhaps, will help you to establish this new habit. Getting your partner on board might help as well.

Follow these three steps and you’ll be well on your way to forming a new habit. It might not be easy, but it will be worth it. Good luck!

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