Habits are hard wired into our psyche, and can often get hard to break. Even though working with good habits is in our favor, the greyer ones can at times prove to be limiting.
Since long term habits take both time and repetition to manifest, they eventually become the sum of who you are. However, with the New Year comes a fresh wave of vigor, propelling you to once again discard those retched patterns and incorporate better, sustainable action.
This 2021, take charge of your lifestyle by riding yourself of such constant deviants. From rising early, never being late at an appointment, to incorporating smart wearables to cut down binge eating, and motivating yourself to let go of procrastinating; usher into 2021 and re-discover a more productive you.
Humble beginnings
It takes time for something to turn habitual; hence it will take its time to break existing bad habits. A slow, incremental approach will work better in a long run, than a drastic move made in a moment of passion. Patience has never been more virtuous.
If you are often accused of being a couch potato, you cannot sustain a full-blown active overhaul to your daily schedule. You may endure it for a few days, but habits reign supreme. Instead of forcing a change, go through the motions with routinely planned activities in your days, which incorporate you having to step outside. Indoors, a Bluetooth smartwatch with sedentary reminders can come in handy to nudge you to walk around every few hours.
Sustaining progress
This is often the most challenging part of breaking any bad habit. Once you have made the commitment and are actively putting the daily work in, it is time to sustain the new routine. Both mentally and physically give your body the time to get accustomed to the changes.
You may be trying to cut down on sweets or forgo smoking; however it most likely will not happen overnight. Make peace with the present reduction, and channel your will power to sustain it. You may feel the urge to gorge on those chocolates or light up another one, but settling with the moderation is the true first step. You can count the number of calories you consume on the daily, and monitor your intake with reliable smart gear such as the Noise ColorFit Pro 2 with a calorie tracker.
Replacing the negatives
Habits often don’t cease to exist without exacting a price. Finding better alternatives to replace your bad habits can reduce your dependence gradually. Replace old habits with new, favorable activities to yank you out of your previous routine.
If you stress eat or bite your nails when nervous, try to find another way to calm your nerves and relax. Meditation and deep breathing, both serve as great ways to alleviate stress and rejuvenate the mind and body. Just burst out a quick 30 second to 1 minute breathing session wherever you are during a stressful situation. You can make use of the dedicated Breathe Mode on select Noise watches, which can assist you via guided meditation. Doubling down as a fitness tracker, such a watch can help you uncover your mental and physical health.
Rewarding yourself
Creating your own personal reward system for making certain milestones is the key to sustaining prolonged motivation. If you are committed to lose weight and have been following a diet plan, it is essential to reward yourself every few weeks for your efforts. Incorporate a cheat day when you reach a certain milestone to keep your interests vested. The right smartwatch or fitness band can help you take charge of your health, by monitoring calorie intake and prompting you to hydrate periodically.
Since weight loss is often accompanied with exercise; serving as a health assistant, a GPS smartwatch can further aid your fitness regime. Get access to detailed reports on your progress and monitor your daily regime. You can even create flexible milestones, which when conquered can be replaced with new ones. Reward yourself on achieving such commitments and leave behind bad habits.
Keep your distance
Dependent on how well you are coping, it may be wise to distance yourself from all stimuli that can put you back in your old regime. Identifying the triggers and ensuring that you stay at a distance from them is important for any kind of progress.
If you spend too much time on social media or playing games, set a curfew and keep your smart phone away from you beyond a deadline. Lying in your bed for hours, scrolling through your feeds cannot be stopped if your smartphone is sitting, invitingly next to your pillow. Similarly during study or work, constant smartphone notifications can be distracting. Switch to airplane or turn on only essential notifications to reduce the amount of distractions.
With a simple yet smart approach you can eliminate all bad habits and foster healthier ones this 2021.