15 habits to improve our lifestyle

When something is not going well in our health, it is many times because we need to change our habits and lifestyle.

It is in the health area is where it is mostly observed that something is not functioning, such as when the person begins to suffer from diabetes, hypertension and other diseases.

It can also be considered that, when certain goals are not achieved in life, not even those that would require less effort, it is because something is failing in our lifestyle and, for this reason certain habits are needed to help us change to focus on new purposes. It is then when it is necessary to review the routine and analyze what are the habits that must be modified.

Habits, what are they really

A healthy habit is a repeated action frequently and becomes automatic.

Many habits are repeated daily, such as taking off your shoes when you enter home, brush your teeth, turn off the lights before leaving, among others. All these actions are carried out mechanically, because they have been repeated enough for them to be recorded in the mind, so, in the end, so much attention or effort is not required to execute them.

In fact, 40 % of the behaviors that are executed daily are made up of habits. This means that almost half of what is done in the day is repeated and automatic.

However, when a new activity is carried out, this requires an extra effort, as well as a lot of motivation to be able to execute it, unlike habits, which are executed without thinking about it.

The unfavorable aspect is that many of these habits that are part of the lifestyle, perhaps they are not entirely healthy and thus they are repeated without considering that well -being.

Many believe that twenty -one days are required to form a new habit, but this is nothing more than a popular belief that is due to the Maltz Maltz plastic surgeon who, in the fifties, noticed a pattern in his patients. According to their observations, patients took twenty -one days to get used to seeing their new face and this made the doctor believe that it was required twenty -one days to replace an old mental image with a new one. However, this began a series of problems, since many authors of self -help began to repeat and disseminate this belief, when the surgeon perhaps referred to the requirement of a minimum of twenty -one days, But not this exact amount of days.

However, in 2009, the health psychology researcher at the College University of London, Phillippa Lally, disseminated a study in which she affirmed that An average of more than two months is calculated before a new behavior becomes automatic, that is, about sixty -six days, which, in addition, could vary depending on the circumstances and the person.

In this regard, Ms. Suhail Velásquez Cortés, in her program of physical and emotional health activities for a healthy life, considers that habits are formed by the repetition of time. That is to say, If an action persists in routine, it is very likely to become a habit, So the effort to execute that action is decreasing until it can be executed without thinking.

Healthy habits are all those behaviors that have been assumed as their own in everyday life and that have a positive impact on physical, social and mental well -being.

Certain factors that predispose to an integral state of health contemplate adequate food, regular physical activity, proper rest and alcohol consumption in moderation, in addition to refraining from smoking tobacco or consuming drugs. The ability to deal with stress is also considered. All this must be taken into consideration when considering habits to change the lifestyle.

15 habits to change our lifestyle

Among the best habits to change the lifestyle are the following:

1. Change the way of thinking: Being healthy is a lifestyle that requires acquiring new knowledge about what is healthy and what does not.
2. Value the first steps: which can be considered as something that will be harvested in the future. This must be done carefully and recognize the feelings that arouse. It doesn't matter how slowly he begins, the important thing is not to lose the goal.
3. Practice and practice: The process can be long, but despair should be avoided. To introduce a new habit, much constancy and a good attitude are required, full of mind and focused on the purpose.
4. Experiment with new techniques: It is likely that it will fail again, therefore, it is worth changing technique to achieve the goal.
5. Take care of food: Not everything consumed is good. To start, it is recommended to eat from home, prepare meals, avoiding harmful fats. Eliminate processed foods and focus on the healthiest ingredients. In addition, good hydration is necessary to keep the body clean.
6. Have patience: Without demanding too much to the first, since in a week it is difficult to get a new habit. Therefore, the goals that will be drawn must be realistic.
7. Avoid judgments: and focus on progress. A fact that obsesses many people is their weight, but being thin does not mean being healthy. The important thing is good nutrition to have a good performance in the day. What should be considered is that overweight should be avoided to prevent the appearance of cardiovascular diseases.
8. Get organized: Write the goals, starting from how the person wants to see in the future, how you want to feel, what do you want to exclude from your diet, which physical activities wants to try, among others. This requires planning.
9. Sleep the necessary hours: that is, from 7 to 9 hours, since the organism needs to meet processes and recharge with energies, so the rest is very important. Who does not rest, usually dawns in a bad mood and with little force to face the day. This will affect the activities that are planned.
10. Create concrete objectives: and avoid those who are abstract, in order to focus on the goal. "Drinking more water" is not the same as "drinking two liters of water" a day.
11. Divide the phases: Starting with short and less difficult tasks. For example, if you want to meet the objective of drinking two liters of water a day, you can start adding two glasses in the first week.
12. Resort to calendar: so that the objectives can be concrete. Thus, there will be a date that will facilitate maintaining the record.
13. Reward the work that is done well: This will help reinforce the behavior that you want to add to the routine.
14. Limit salt intake: and opt for iodized salt, preferably.
15. Forget the shortcuts: Avoiding the "miraculous" products, this will only empty the pocket and bring frustration.

Introducing habits to change life. When achieving it, satisfaction will be indisputable.

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Bibliography

• Jiménez, m. G., Martínez, p., He looked, e., & Sánchez, A. Yo. (2008). Psychological well -being and healthy habits: are they associated with the practice of physical exercise? International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 8 (1), 185-202.
• González Menéndez, R. (nineteen ninety five). How to free yourself from toxic habits.: Guide to know and overcome habits caused by coffee, tobacco and alcohol. Cuban Magazine of Integral Medicine, 11 (3), 253-284.
• Sánchez-Ojeda, m. TO., & Luna-beartos, and. D. (2015). Healthy life habits in the university population. Hospital Nutrition, 31 (5), 1910-1919.
• Velásquez, s. Activity program for a healthy life.