How to create healthier habits in 2023

With the turn of the new year, most people are making resolutions and setting goals for themselves. These usually include getting more organized, increasing physical activity, eating healthier foods or any number of other activities that involve improving our lives in some way. But unfortunately, many of these habits don't stick beyond a few weeks into the year. In this blog post we'll explore how to create better health-related habits — the kind that will last past January and become part of your daily lifestyle routine in 2023. Through simple changes you can form lasting healthy habits that will have long-term benefits on both your physical and mental wellbeing!

Create habits, not new year’s resolutions

Don't get us wrong, New Year's resolutions can be really effective for some to stay motivated towards achieving their goals. Unfortunately though, only up to 12% of us will stick with these New Year's resolutions, throughout the entire year.

If you really want to make lasting changes in your life, it's much better to focus on creating new healthy habits that can be with you all year long, and beyond. Although we love goal-setting, without creating an action plan, it can be hard to bring those goals to life. Cultivating habits that become part of your routine are what makes those goals actually happen.

Rather than setting a New Year’s resolution of 'lose 3kg in 6 weeks', commit to a habit of moving your body daily. Habits like these will slowly become ingrained and before you know it, you'll have reached many of your goals without having to make huge commitments or restrict yourself with extreme plans. This New Year let's go beyond traditional resolutions and invest time and energy into creating lasting habits!

What’s the best way to make a new habit?

Making new habits can seem daunting, but habit stacking is a fun and simple way to get started. Habit stacking involves linking small habit changes to existing routines - making them easier to remember. For instance, if you already brush your teeth twice a day, why not add flossing? It’s an added habit but one that only takes an extra second each time. Once flossing becomes part of your routine, you can start adding other healthy habits that will benefit you in the long run. Small habit changes are manageable and once ingrained as part of your daily routine you’ll be well on your way to cultivating strong lifelong habits!

Make it sustainable

When we kickstart a new health-challenge or work towards a new health goal, particularly if this coincides with the new year, it can be easy to come up with big, grand ideas. We say we’re going to make it to Pilates 5 times a week, when we haven’t done much exercise for the past 6+ months.

While you might be able to keep this up in the first couple of weeks, if your body is not used to it, then things such as injury or fatigue can impede on your progress, or halt your new habit forming altogether.

Instead, aim for small, incremental changes. Start with 1 or 2 classes a week, and work up from there. We know – you want it all, and you want it now. But trust us - this is the true path to lifelong habits and achieving those goals. 

Habit stack

Habit stacking involves linking small habit changes to existing routines - making them easier to remember and implement. For example, say you want to work on getting your 10,000 steps in a day and you love to grab a morning coffee down your local cafe. You can choose to drive, or leave the car at home and take a stroll to the coffee shop. Once this becomes part of your daily routine, you can start adding other healthy habits that will benefit you in the long run. Small habit changes are manageable and once ingrained as part of your daily routine you’ll be well on your way to cultivating strong lifelong habits!

Keep Track

Habit tracking makes it easy to stay on track because it puts you in control. It allows you to set your own goals, create concrete plans for success and monitor your progress over time. Keeping track of your habit progress releases a hormone called dopamine, which creates feelings of happiness and motivation. Plus, you'll get the satisfaction of seeing exactly how far you've come when you track your successful journey! 

Don’t aim for perfection

There will be times when life gets in the way of your habit’s success. We’re big believers that nothing and no-one is perfect, so it’s important to give yourself a break if you miss a day of your habit. That being said, don’t let missing your habit become your new habit! If you do happen to miss a day, remember progress is better than perfection. Don’t throw out all that hard work just because you couldn’t make it to class, or didn’t get your entire water intake in. Try again tomorrow and keep strengthening that habit muscle.

5 Essential Habits for a Healthy Mind and Body

We’re sure that you’ve already got a few things in mind of what you’d like to improve and change, when it comes to living your happiest, healthiest life in 2023. If you are however in need of a few more ideas, here’s some great habit ideas to make part of your daily life.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is important for both physical and mental health. Regular exercise helps the heart work better, strengthens muscles, increases energy levels, and improves overall well-being. Exercising at least 30 minutes a day five times a week can have an incredible impact on your mental and physical health. Take the time to look into activities that you enjoy – from walking to weightlifting, swimming or other forms of exercise – and make sure to build this in as part of your weekly routine!

Eat a Nutritionally Balanced Diet 

Proper nutrition is the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. Eating a variety of healthy and balanced foods in moderation can help you maintain your body weight, stay energized, and protect against common health problems. Fruits and vegetables should be included as part of your meals every day, while other nutrient-rich foods like nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains are also essential components of your diet. Avoid processed foods as much as possible to ensure that you’re getting only the very best for your mind and body.

Get Enough Sleep 

Sleep is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle! Getting enough rest is essential for your body and mind; not only does rest help reduce fatigue, but it also helps to improve memory and alertness. Aim to get about 8 hours of sleep each night, avoiding screens for at least an hour before you go to bed. Establishing a relaxing nighttime routine can help you wind down from the day and relax into a deep sleep.

Manage Stress 

Stress can impair mental and physical health; it’s important to find healthy coping methods for stress. Finding activities that bring joy or focus on your breath are great places to start. Exercise is another wonderful way to manage stress, as regular exercise can reduce stress hormone levels and improve mental clarity.

Practice Mindful Meditation 

Mindful meditation can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings and increase your concentration. When practiced regularly, mindful meditation can improve mental focus, reduce distractions, and even lower stress levels. To get started in mindful meditation, find a comfortable place to sit or lay down and focus on your breathing. Gradually clear away other thoughts that come into your mind and just focus on each breath until the end of your practice.

As we move into a fresh, new year, let’s focus on creating habits that will improve our mind and body health. Creating healthy habits isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it when we see the positive impact they have on our lives. If improving your physical strength and flexibility, moving your body more, or cultivating a calmer mind is on your list for 2023, we can’t wait to see you in the studio. Plus, if you need a helping hand for creating healthy habits for yourself, we’d love for you to join our February Good Moves Challenge.