10 steps to maintain a healthy routine –

Have you ever tried to implement new habits and lead a healthy routine, but got lost in the middle of the way or had a lot of difficulty getting ahead? Today’s text is exactly about that!

Last Saturday I wrote about making healthier choices and today the focus is on how to stick with them! After all, the secret of success is constancy and determination! So keep reading that I really want to help you so that you leave here motivated to have an even better routine!

I’m going to break it down into a few steps, so that we can understand and apply the tips more easily in our daily lives:

1- Stop and think about who you want to be in the future (reflect and write down the characteristics you want to have, how you plan to live your life, what habits you want to have already acquired…)

2- Now realize what you need to do in your day to day to be that best future version (ex: I imagine myself being a much more serene person in the future, so, for that, I need to start implementing this serenity in my day-to-day life today and, therefore, I started to meditate daily. Or another example: in the future I I imagine being polyglot, so I need to start learning new languages ​​right now, to achieve this dream. That’s why I already take Spanish classes twice a week)

3- Reflect on the motivation behind this will, so that it is genuine and not an obligation that came from a third person (if you start doing something because someone else said it would be good, the chance of you giving up is high, as it is not really your will. And, even if it is yours, try to write a post-it with at least 5 objectives behind this goal, that makes sense to you and makes it very visible, that way, every day, you can be inspired and seek to be better)

4- Choose one habit to implement at a time and, little by little, put the others (The best thing is that this habit is very easy, quick to execute and that it gives you pleasure, so the chance of being able to maintain it is higher. And the reason for being one at a time is simple, structural changes start little by little! If we seek to change everything drastically, it ends up being much more challenging)

5- Find a time and leave it noted in the agenda (this decreases the chances of you forgetting to do it and also manages to prepare! Ex: if your habit is to eat healthier and cook, you need to put a moment in your schedule to go to the market and to have time to cook )

6- Try, for 21 days straight, to do it, without excuses (if you miss a few, start over and move on. It’s okay to fail, it’s part of it, we’re human! But try not to think “I’ve already kicked the bucket”, please keep going!!!! You’re doing it for yourself same!)

7- Realize how you are feeling about your changes (praise yourself! Recognize your effort, congratulate yourself more than you charge yourself and remember that nothing is magical and happens overnight! Ex: if you want to train your body, physical changes will probably come after some time and not the next day!)

8- Implement yet another new habit! (If you want to make more changes and live a healthier life in general, now is the time to start over!)

9- Continue with the ones that make sense and, if you need to change, feel free, after all, it’s meant to be your best version of the future! (Often our life takes a big turn and there are things that are no longer as important as they were before. So it’s also very wise to discern when it’s time to stop!)

10- Remember throughout the process that no one is born knowing, and that it’s okay to be a beginner! Life is made of discoveries and we are all eternal apprentices! (If not, it becomes very difficult to appreciate your trajectory when you observe a colleague who, for example, has already run a marathon, while you want to learn how to run now!)

Hands in the dough!!! I want to see you following these steps and then I hope you can tell me about your journey!

And oh, in case you have no idea what habit to start implementing, I’ll give you some examples: meditating, reading, eating well, practicing physical activity, walking, enjoying the view from the window, writing in a diary, calling friends, taking breaks aware, study, pray, cook, contemplate nature, paint, sunbathe, do self-care activities, embroider, learn a new language, play a musical instrument, drink more water, play with the dog… and so on!!!

See you next Saturday! Around here, the journey of the week continues with meditation, writing in the diary, mindful breaks, studying a new language and drinking more water!

Hi, my name is Priscila Conte Vieira, but you can call me Pri! I am a psychologist, speaker and mentor. I work in clinical psychology, I’m a specialist in Positive Psychology, postgraduate student in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, master in self-knowledge, life coach, NLP practitioner and also creator of the Podcast Breathe, don’t freak out (how about checking it out on Spotify?!)

I’ll be here every week, addressing themes of Positive Psychology, happiness, well-being and helping them to be their best versions, through self-knowledge and flourishing. To find out more about me and follow me on a daily basis, just follow me on Instagram! I’m there like @psi.priscilaconte See you next Saturday! See you <3