Shape your life

-


We all have habits, both good and bad, that shape our daily lives and impact our overall well-being. Whether it's the habit of hitting the snooze button one too many times or consistently making time for exercise, our routines play a significant role in determining our success and happiness.

The good news is that you can work on your habits to improve your life. Today, we'll explore some strategies to help you cultivate the habits that are best to serve you and make your life better.

  1. Choices: Assess which habits you are willing to change. Not sure? Try the Decisional Balance Worksheet.
  2. Clarity: Write down details of a habit you want to adopt including what, how, when, where, why. Be thorough, putting in effort here helps with success later.
  3. Implement a system to help get it done consistently. Consider an alarm, habit stacking, or setting an appointment with someone else to do it together.
  4. Help it happen with the 20 Second Rule! 
  5. Understand the connection between your habits and goals.
  6. Finally, set the trial period. Know when you want to circle back, and determine whether this habit and the associated goal is ideal for you. By experimenting with it you may have learned a lot, and have a better idea of what would serve you best.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Developing a Workout Routine

-
Image
Developing a routine when working out is important for achieving fitness goals and protecting your body from injury. Below are some tips and tools on developing the perfect workout routine. Use these tips to customize a workout routine that works for you! Tip 1: Consistency Building a strong fitness routine does not happen overnight. You must develop a process and work at it regularly. Decide how many days you are going to work out each week and commit to fitting it into your schedule. Tip 2: Recover Your muscles need time to recover to completely benefit from your physical efforts. When creating your routine, make sure there are days for rest! You do not have to remain completely inactive on recovery days. Long walks, light yoga and casual swimming are all things that get your body moving while still allowing time for your muscles to recoup. Tip 3: Variety Consistency is important when you are thinking about duration and frequency of exercise. Variety is import
Read more

How to Build a Low Cost Home Gym

-
Image
So many of us wish we could get more use out of our gym memberships, but with hectic lives and unpredictable schedules, it's not always so easy. If you find it too hard to get out of your house every day for a workout, why not bring the gym to you? Creating a gym in your home can save time and money -- there's no need to own the same heavy, expensive equipment found at a standard gym. You may be surprised at how easy it is to tailor a home gym to fit you personal needs. All you need are a few tangible pieces and a motivational vibe! Below are five necessities to start building your home gym. Atmosphere: Think about what you like most about the gym and figure out how to bring some of that atmosphere to your own space. If natural light is a must have for you, find a space upstairs with great windows to create the look you want. If you like to watch TV while you sweat, set up your gym in a room that has screen access. Need a little visual motivation? Try something simple like
Read more

Staying Active for Busy People in the Summer: Tips and Ideas

-
Image
Summer is a fantastic time to enjoy the great outdoors, but it can be tough to stay active when you have a busy schedule. When you're juggling work, family, and other commitments, finding time for exercise is challenging. Luckily, there are ways to stay active, even when you’re short on time. Here are some tips and ideas to help you fit more movement into your summer days. Take Advantage of Early Mornings or Late Evenings  Mornings are often the coolest part of the day during summer, making them perfect for getting some exercise before your schedule heats up. Here are a few ideas: Go for a Walk or Run: Start your day with a brisk walk or run around your neighborhood. It's a great way to wake up and get your heart pumping. Do Some Yoga: Find a quiet spot in your home or yard and do a 20-minute yoga routine. Yoga can help you stretch, strengthen, and relax your body. Bike Ride: If you have a bike, take it for a spin in the early morning. It’s a fun way to see your community
Read more

Brought To You By Empower: 5 Ways To Improve Your Financial Relationship

-
Image
  Money and love can be messy. That’s a big reason why many people try to keep the two topics separate. Of course, strong relationships have both romantic and financial components, and they’re often intertwined. That’s why I sat down with an expert to mitigate some of the messiness of money and love. Abby Davvison is a social innovation leader and career development expert. She co-wrote the book  Money and Love: An Intelligent Roadmap for Life’s Biggest Decisions . I’m going to review five of her top strategies to strengthen your financial relationship as a couple. Improving money and love with your partner Did you know that many of us follow scripts in our relationships? In fact, many of us grow up either consciously or subconsciously believing that romantic decisions are made with your heart whereas other life decisions are made with our head. This script shapes much of how we do or don’t deal with money and love. If you’re someone who prefers to keep them separate, Abby says not so
Read more

Want a stellar sandwich?

-
Image
  A favorite at our house, this recipe meets the key requirements for busy days: fast, healthy, and tasty! Feel free to double if hungry, or scale up further if feeding the family. Ingredients 1 large egg 2 tablespoons whole-milk plain Greek yogurt, or a dairy-free substitute ½ whole-wheat pita ¼ cup baby arugula 2 tablespoons halved cherry tomatoes 3 pitted Kalamata olives, chopped 1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese (optional) ¼ teaspoon za'atar (or your favorite seasoning) Directions Cook that egg however you like - poached, scrambled, fried. Spread yogurt inside pita, and sprinkle in a little za'atar. Fill the pita with arugula, tomatoes, poached egg, olives and feta.  This recipe was adapted from Eating Well's Feta, Egg & Olive Pita . 
Read more

How to be friendly to your blood sugar

-
Image
Whether you have diabetes or not, these ideas can help you to feel your best and have more stable energy throughout your day. 1. Take a 2-minute walk after meals The 2-minute walk was shown to significantly improve blood sugar levels. Take the walk within 60-90 minutes of finishing your meal. If you can walk longer than 2 minutes, great! If you only have 2 minutes to walk, that alone can make a big difference. 2. Include protein and fiber in each meal and snack Protein and fiber both slow down how quickly you digest your food, and slowing down digestion can slow down how much sugar gets released into your blood at a time. This can even out the spikes and dips that can make you feel icky or tired between meals. It can also help you feel more satisfied and focused between meals. For snacks, try: Yogurt + berries Cheese + whole grain crackers Veggies + hummus Fruit + peanut butter Popcorn + almonds For meals, try to include 3 food groups, and choose whole grains or starchy veggies as you
Read more

C is for...

-
Image
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in your blood. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels.  Recommendations are as follows: Total Cholesterol: Less than 200mg/dL HDL (“good cholesterol”): >40mg/dL in men, >50mg/dL in women LDL (“bad cholesterol”): <129 mg/dL Triglycerides: <149mg/dL Ratio Total Cholesterol: ≤ 3.5  How do you hit those numbers? You guessed it! Diet and exercise are the MVP of this game. Exercise is the #1 way to support increase in HDL. Increase regular aerobic exercise to at least 30 minutes, 5 times per week. This also helps individuals maintain a healthy weight. Generally, the higher your weight, the lower your HDL levels. Weight loss, using a combination of reducing processed foods and eating healthy fats, as well as exercise can greatly improve your good cholesterol and
Read more