Starting on a path toward healthy habits is often easier than maintaining them long term. Build healthy habits that stick by working small, positive steps into your daily life.
These ideas from the American Heart Association’s Healthy for Good Habit Coach can help.
Work with Your “Brain Loops”
Your brain creates “loops” for habits made up of three things: a cue, a routine and a reward. Each time the loop is repeated, it becomes more routine and may become automatic. Knowing this, you can design cues for developing new, healthy habits, such as setting walking shoes by the bed to start a walking habit. The routine is putting on the shoes and walking around the block, and the reward is the pleasant sensations and brighter mood from a morning stroll.
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