Eat healthier, stress less, exercise more, read more books – these are the most common New Year’s resolutions of Swedes. But the fact is that only 25 percent of those who make a New Year’s resolution keep it. Creating a healthy routine that actually lasts all year isn’t easy. Therefore, Rebecka Hedström, Product Specialist & Quality Manager at Great Earth, wants to share her best tips for sustainable routines all year round.
For many, a new year means an opportunity to start over and introduce new, healthy habits. However, many New Year’s resolutions are short-lived, because the resolution is too difficult to achieve or because motivation is lacking. Instead of promising yourself something that may be difficult to keep, it may therefore be a good idea to focus on creating sustainable routines to carry with you throughout the year.
In periods where we experience a lot of stress, it is easy for us to deprioritize the routines we normally have. But it is important to try to maintain your routines even during stressful periods or during the holidays. On average, it takes a little more than two months to create a routine, so it’s important to be patient, push yourself and not give up.
Choose an area within your own health and think about what needs to be added or excluded from your everyday life to achieve a change!
Five steps to sustainable routines
1. Think concretely: Instead of “I will take more walks”, think “I will walk 10,000 steps a day”
2. Start small: Start small and sustainably, and you are more likely to stick to the routine
3. Celebrate all the wins: Set milestones in your routine and celebrate when you reach them, and you’ll stay motivated!
4. Get help: You don’t have to be alone on the journey to better routines
5. Be patient: On average, it takes 66 days to create a new routine – hang in there!
