Slow and Steady wins the...
The last few months, I added in some new things to my morning routine. I walk every morning along the water with my dog because I wanted help in managing my cortisol levels to help with good sleep. I also want to feel like I did the things that I wanted to do and said I would do. So I added EFT tapping and visualization on whatever is forefront on my agenda (the last months that has been being diligent in studying German so I can pass my language tests at the end of July). I do this while I am walking. I am the crazy person tapping my body parts from 7-8 am on the Isar river in Munich. Wave hi if you see me. :)
Something I have noticed in my work as a health and nutrition coach and in my own life just dealing with my own human struggles is that it is much easier to stay committed to important aspects of our daily routine when we feel an immediate need for them. It is easier to lose the practices which keep us feeling light, mentally sharp and cool and calm as a cucumber when things feel kinda ok.
While in a way it makes sense that when we feel the pain of being really out of shape we are super inspired to go to the gym, or it’s easier to commit to therapy after a breakup or during a really low point in our personal lives, I find it most important to commit to our daily practices when things feel ok, or dare I say even really good.
It is what we do in the every day, day in and day out which determines how healthy our bodies are, how strong our relationships are, how resilient our minds are and how inspired we are in our work. It’s also really hard to stay committed when the shit is not hitting the fan. A little help understanding how habits are formed can do wonders in making occasional habits into everyday ones.
Every habit has a trigger. Your morning coffee or tea is triggered by a time (morning), a place (the kitchen) and maybe even an emotion (excitement). Your evening ritual of watching Netflix is triggered by a place (the living room) a time (after 8pm) and preceding event (finishing dinner, getting kids of bed, etc) and even another person (a partner, roommate or dog). The same factors which may unconsciously trigger one habit could be used to create or sustain another.
Habits have 5 triggers: time, place, preceding event, emotion and other person. Every habit you have has at least one of these triggers. Every habit you want to have or sometimes have has at least one of these triggers. If you pay attention to the triggers, you can design your day to include the habit you want every day.
Let’s take my morning walk with EFT and visualizing my day. What triggers does it have? A time (in the morning), a preceding event (brushing teeth, washing face, having a morning poo, etc :)), and another person (a dog in this case. but i argue he is a person). All of these triggers are zeitgebers which tell me it is time to start my day. And for me, starting my day means focusing my mind on what I want to happen that day and how I want to feel.
What parts of your daily routine do you want to have day in and day out, so you don’t have to decide whether or not you want to do it? If you have to decide, it’s already less likely to happen!
What are the triggers to that habit or behavior - is it a time, place, preceding event, emotion or another person?
How can awareness of these triggers at play create the conditions so just do it, you don’t decide to do it?
Now it’s your turn to experiment with using one or more of the 5 triggers to change or stick to your habits. While you don’t need to use all five, you do need to be specific. So, if you decide you want to have a better nighttime routine to sleep better, you have to be specific about what that looks like:
by 9pm I will turn of my phone - time
I will take a bath or retire to my room to read - location
I will take a walk with my partner, dog, etc - another person
Go ahead and give it a go. :)
Identifying the triggers to the habit you want to do every day, rain or shine, good mood or bad, at home or on holiday is one of the keys of sticking to the routines that matter most to you.
Be healthy and well lovelies. I look forward to seeing you in Munich, on one of my retreats around the world, or somewhere in the cyberworld.
Kari