Struggling to prioritize your health? Often it’s not a knowledge issue; it’s a habit issue. Use these simple health strategies from Atomic Habits to finally create healthy habits that stick.

When working with my coaching clients, much of our discussions center on how they can implement healthier habits. Most people know what they should be doing, but struggle with how to make it a reality. In these cases, it’s not a knowledge issue, but a habit issue.

That’s when I incorporate many of the teachings from James Clear’s Atomic Habits. It’s a best seller for a reason! He compiled the existing research on habit development into clear insights and simple practices. In other words, he offers simple, evidence-based ways to develop healthy habits and break bad ones.

Simple Health Strategies From Atomic Habits

Here are the key take-away points to change your habits and improve your health.

Think small.

  • One small change can be powerful.
  • Tiny habit changes compound into large transformations in your health.
  • Small changes are much more sustainable and feel less overwhelming.

Be patient.

  • Results are nonlinear. There will be progress and setbacks. Keep going!
  • Expect to be frustrated at first when you don’t see the results.
  • Think in terms of habits and systems, not overall goals.

Consider your “why.”

  • Your identity plays a big role in your motivation.
  • Think in terms of who you are now and who you want to become.
  • This will help you tap into your intrinsic motivation.

Habits evolve from a 4 step feedback loop: Cue, Craving, Response, Reward.

  • To establish habits, make it obvious (cue), attractive (craving), easy (response), and satisfying (reward).
  • To break habits, make it invisible (cue), unattractive (craving), difficult (response), and unsatisfying (reward).

Make your healthy habits obvious (cue).

  • Build awareness by paying attention to automatic routines.
  • Get specific about your new habit: I will (BEHAVIOR) at (TIME) in (LOCATION).
  • Practice habit stacking: Use an established habit as the cue for your new habit (i.e. “I will pause to practice belly breathing when I have my morning coffee in the kitchen.”)
  • Evaluate your environment. Remove negative cues and temptations; encourage positive cues.

Make your healthy habits attractive (craving).

  • Increase your “wanting” of a new habit by anticipating the reward. When we define our anticipated benefits, we increase our motivation.
  • Use temptation bundling: pair something you want to do with the habit you need to do (i.e. watching Netflix while riding the bike)
  • Social support is key! Surround yourself with people who share and/or encourage your good habits.

Make your healthy habits feel easy (response).

  • Habits form based on frequency, not time.
  • Decrease the friction by creating an environment that supports your habit (i.e. get your workout gear ready the night before).
  • Use the 2-Minute Rule: break a new habit down into the smallest step possible, one that requires just two-minutes of effort.
  • Use automation whenever possible.
  • Choose habits that align with your strengths, because it will feel easier.

Make your habits feel satisfying (reward).

  • Consider the Cardinal Rule of Behavior Change: What is immediately rewarded (punished) is repeated (avoided).
  • Build in small wins in the beginning to feel successful.
  • Use habit tracking, especially visual forms.
    • Reflecting and reviewing your progress regularly is key!
  • Find an accountability partner. It is motivating when you know you will be reporting your results to somebody.
  • Focus on habits that are challenging (to prevent boredom) but not impossible (to maintain motivation).

These are my favorite pointers from James Clear’s Atomic Habits, and I use them every time I meet with a coaching client. But you don’t have to work with a health and wellness coach to get the same results. You can implement these lessons on your own. Keep in mind, you don’t have to do all of this at once. Small changes really do add up!

Small Changes, Big Transformation

Implementing the lessons from Atomic Habits is one small change we can make to prioritize our health and build resilience. Wellness doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Give these practices a try this week and let me know how it goes!

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