The Science of Habits Pt. 2

 Here's a bit of an idea of the routines and habits I've formed/ am trying to form to help me reach my goals. If you're wanting to learn more about the science of habits before and how the brain works in forming them before diving into some practical suggestions to implement into your own life, go and check out my other blog post here: The Science of Habits Pt. 1

I wake up at the same time everyday. Now, I know this isn't always possible for everyone. As a hospo worker myself, I know that if you're working a bar close until 2am you're probably not going to want to wake up at 7am the next day, but overall consistency is key. You don't need to be perfect, you just need to keep trying. Waking up at the same time each morning regulates your circadian rhythm (your body's sleep cycle) and allows you to actually get better quality sleep at night. Waking up at the same time each day also forms a......Habit!! So, the more consistent you are with your wakeup time, the more primed the body is to expect to be waking up at this time, and the easier it gets.

 Once I've woken up, I put my activewear on straight away and head out for a walk. I aim to go for a walk almost everyday, this is one of my personal goals, but I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that some mornings I wake up and I just can't be f****d. This is where habits come in. The last few weeks, I have forced myself to get up and go for a walk no matter how much I didn't want to go. This last week, finally, it has absolutely become second nature. My brain knows that we wake up and we walk, there's no question or decision about whether I can be bothered to go or not, it's just what we do every morning and what we will continue to do every morning. Kind of like an actual appointment in the diary that we just have to go to. No more motivation needed, and I feel so much more refreshed and ready for my day afterwards. 

 Journaling. I know sometimes it seems like a drag and we can't be bothered, but journaling has done wonders for my mental health. Journaling does take practice, it really is quite difficult at first and you often have no idea what the heck you're supposed to be writing about. But that's the whole point! You can write whatever you'd like, and personally (and also scientifically proven too) it is an amazing outlet to regulate your emotions or work through things that may be troubling you in an organised and logical way. Now, similar to my daily walks, I treat journaling like an appointment. Every morning before work, I write in my journal, no questions asked, no excuses. This is now a habit of mine that once again, I don't have to think about, it just happens every. day. Here's a few bonus journal prompts if you need some inspo:

Now I want to preface this one by saying this is a HUGE issue for me and I'm still working on it, and I know a lot of people of all ages will relate to this one. You've been at work all day, you may even spend your day thinking about all of the things you could do be doing if you weren't at work, and then you get home (at a very reasonable time to still have time for activities), but you fall onto your bed, pull out your phone and start scrolling. That's Game Over. Suddenly it's 7pm, you need to make dinner, have a shower and go to bed, to then press repeat all over again tomorrow. This is an example of a bad habit that I want to break, and so I need to find a new, better habit to replace it. My weapon of choice is cooking. When I get home from work, or wherever I've been for the day, instead of falling on my bed and scrolling I do one of a few things: 

I make myself a snack if I haven't had a chance to eat much that day

I use my time after work to cook some lunches for the rest of the week

I sit down and google some recipes for some meal prep/dinner inspiration for the next week 

Then, no matter what, I've done something productive and helpful for future Sav and haven't just wasted my afternoon. This works for me because I enjoy cooking, but if you're in the same boat as me, choose something that you genuinely like doing in your spare time. If you don't, you just won't stick to it and you'll fall back into those bad habits you're trying so desperately to shake. 

I also just want to take a minute to say, you are absolutely allowed to relax and have down time after a long day at work, in fact you should prioritise time to wind down and focus on yourself. However, I know that personally having my head in my phone all night every night is not a healthy habit, and there are many other things I could be doing that I find enjoyable and relaxing that will likely serve me in a much more positive way. 

If you've made it this far, thankyou for hearing what I have to say, clearly it was quite a lot on this topic!! Creating routines and healthy habits are something I'm very passionate about not only because they have helped me immensely with both my physical and mental health, but because I know they work and I want you guys to experience the positive effects they can have for yourself! 

Creating a habit can be done at anytime, it's never a bad time to start, but don't overwhelm yourself. For example, if you're wanting a little more structure in your morning to set you up for a good day, don't slam yourself with a 15 point list of tasks you want to complete in the morning straight off the bat. It's too much pressure and it won't work. Instead, first start with your wake up time for example. Pick a time, set your alarm and challenge yourself to wake up at the same time everyday for a month. Once you've got this down, add something else to your list. Challenge yourself to wake up and not check your phone for 30 minutes in the morning. Continuously add to your routine as you master each habit, and pretty soon you'll be a morning routine master! And don't beat yourself up if you slip back into old habits, we're not perfect creatures! But know, that we are creatures of habit, and so if you keep at it and get back on the horse enough times, soon you'll be a professional habit creator and you won't even remember the old, no routine you. Here's a quick example of my morning routine at the moment for some inspiration:

7am Alarm

730am Get up (no phone)

730-8am Breakfast, glass of water, get dressed

8-9am Walk and podcast

9-930am Organise weekly planner, journaling, 10 minute meditation

930-1030am To do list (grocery shopping, errands etc.)

1030am Get ready for work 

Here's a source list for anyone wanting to do a little more research on this topic, or if you just want to make sure I'm telling the truth😉

Farnam Street Blog: The Science of Habit Formation and Change

Develop Good Habits: How long does it take to form a habit?

Very Well Heath: First Step to Better Sleep

Alexis Fernandez Podcast: Do You F*****g Mind?