Spring is finally in the air! With the continued transition to warmer weather and longer days, it is easy to let good habits slide. You may find that you are inadvertently changing your routine by staying up later, eating foods that are less nutritious (especially if your local ice cream stand has opened up!), and sitting outside to socialize (with a glass of wine or two) instead of taking a walk.
While balance and moderation are the keys to a healthy life, it is easy to let the balance tip towards excess at this time of year. This can cause you to lose momentum toward achieving the health and wellness goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of the year.
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Thankfully, you don’t have to forgo the pleasures of life in the springtime to continue your progress. Rather than depriving yourself (which is never a good strategy!), aim for consistency in your habits. Today, I’m sharing my top five tips for staying consistent in everything you do so that you can enjoy the season, and continue to make progress toward your goals.
Be intentional with your choices
I am fond of saying, “There are no good or bad foods. There are just the choices that we make. And if we don’t like our results, then we have to make different choices.” Being intentional with our actions — whether related to our health goals or not — is how we shape our lives. When you think through your choices, and make decisions that are right for you, you are more likely to feel happy and in control of your life. Stop letting the opinions of others influence your choices, and letting external forces determine what you do.
In the spring, the practice of being intentional is even more important to your health and wellbeing. Between the additional opportunities to stray from your diet, and the loss of sleep many of us experience with the extra daylight, do everything you can to avoid getting swept up in choices that are not your own. Decide in advance when you’ll allow yourself to deviate from your normal habits. Planning ahead will keep you in full control of when you choose to eat sugary treats, skip a workout, or stay up a little later than normal. Having this awareness will prevent you from derailing from the positive habits you’ve worked so hard to develop.
Start adding variety to your routine
If you’ve worked on developing new habits this year, it is likely time to shake things up a bit! When it comes to eating healthy, working out, and practicing self-care, variety is super important in achieving long-term success. To stay as consistent as possible, change your routine in healthy ways that support your goals.
For example, if your meal plan has become boring, swap current selections with other healthy meals or spices/flavors that you haven’t enjoyed in a while. And if your workout routine is starting to feel like a struggle, do something different. Sign up for a workout class you’ve never tried, play a favorite sport, or download a new workout app. The goal is to make your routine fun and engaging to keep you moving forward.
Related Post: How to Build Better Habits With the 3 Step “Habit Loop”
Celebrate your progress
Positive reinforcement is a great way to make your habits ‘sticky’. So make sure that you celebrate the progress you’ve achieved up to this point. By taking a moment to soak in all the milestones you’ve reached in these first few months of the year — both small and large — you will be inspired to keep making the healthiest choices possible.
Also, consider planning rewards for yourself to celebrate future goals and milestones. For example, if your goal for 2021 is to be able to run a 5k in under 30 minutes, plan rewards for every incremental milestone you hit – when you get to 3k, when you get to 5k, etc. Example rewards could include a new workout outfit or a massage. Whatever reward you choose, be sure that it is something that is healthy, and that supports your goal.
Stick to your routine
Having a solid daily routine is paramount in staying consistent in your habits. However, when Daylight Saving Time goes into effect, it can be tempting to change the flow of your day. Resist the urge to modify when you go to bed, how late you eat, and when you workout. If your current routine has served you well, stick with it! Significant fluctuations in your day can cause you to pause (or even stop) some of the habits that have gotten you this far.
Consider enlisting the help of an accountability partner
Accountability is a powerful force when it comes to your success in reaching any goal. Research has shown that simply writing down a goal, or telling someone about your goal, makes you far more likely to achieve it. If you haven’t done so yet, begin practicing accountability to accelerate your progress, and improve your chances of success.
You can even go a step further by enlisting the help of an accountability partner. Whether you select a friend or a relative, or hire a coach, having someone check in with you on a weekly basis is a fantastic way to stay consistent in your habits. Knowing that you will have to give a rundown of the foods you ate, how often you worked out, or what kinds of self-care activities you did is enough to motivate most to make healthier choices.
In addition to utilizing these strategies to stay consistent in your wellness habits, don’t forget to have fun! While they are certainly important, life is about more than your goals. Enjoying the richness of experiencing your favorite foods, the warm and sunny weather, and time connecting with friends and family can do wonders for your mental health. Rather than striving for perfection in everything you do (which is always unrealistic!), seek the peace that comes from being consistent in your habits.
DAWN MCGEE
Dawn McGee is a certified and licensed Nutrition Evangelist and a long-time foodie, she focuses on both the health and joy of food as fuel for your body. She is a driving force in bringing education on healthy eating to more people through her community, my “Reclaim Your Life, One Bite at a Time” programs, and my book “365 Days of Healthy Living”. Her hope for you is that you live a life you love, without being hungry, feeling deprived, or giving up your glass
