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Experiment with the strategies below to learn how to make healthy habits stick. Check them off as you go to record your progress.
How many times have you set lofty weight-loss goals at the start of a new year and given up on them just a few weeks later? Or maybe you vowed to kick poor eating habits once and for all but slipped back into your old ways soon after. Resolutions offer a lot of promise, but they tend to fizzle out when a challenge arises or motivation wanes. So what exactly makes lasting change so hard?
The simple answer is that we are creatures of habit. It takes energy and intention for our brains to pause and think about doing things differently. Consider the behaviors and skills that are so ingrained in you now as an adult, such as brushing your teeth or driving a car. When you first started doing them, you had to really think about how to do them.
Want to start making steps toward real change? Try these simple tips to make new habits stick.
Although change is difficult, pathways for different ways of thinking and behaving can be created and strengthened with intention, time and effort. With repetition, these new habits get easier and become the norm. So stick with them!
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