We’re all guilty of falling into unhealthy ruts. Whether it’s that daily chocolate break we look forward to or skipping the stairs at the office in favour of the lift. Habits are formed easily yet hard to break, but the following 5 changes will help you to end unhealthy habits and make positive changes for life.
Make Treats Weekly Rather Than Daily
Telling yourself you can never have that particular bar of chocolate ever again will only serve to strengthen your craving for it. Don’t deny yourself the things you like, simply moderate them! If you have a daily ritual of heading to the vending machine, make it a weekly trip instead. On the days of the week where you are not having that favourite treat, make sure you replace it with something healthy and delicious – find your favourite fruit and keep it in good stock (mango fingers are particularly lovely and sweet!) and be sure to mix it up so you don’t get bored of the same thing.
Get Out of the Office
With many of us spending our working life behind a desk, we’re spending our weekdays sat down staring at computer screens. It’s an unavoidable part of modern life for many, so make the most of the times where you don’t have to be there. Make a pledge to take yourself out over lunch for a walk. Invite colleagues along to get a walking group going; you’ll feel energised and ready to tackle the afternoon’s wave of emails and calls!
Cut Down on the Coffee
Coffee has overtaken the canine as man’s best friend. We chug down cup after cup to keep us at the top of our game throughout the working week, but is it really having the right effect? Studies have shown that caffeine leads to heightened anxiety and stress levels, which is hardly of benefit when working in a high pressure environment! Give your body a break from all the caffeine by cutting your caffeine intake by half to start with. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie packed with good stuff such as berries, bananas and avocado (you can’t taste the avocado, we promise!) and stock up on herbal teas for the afternoon to hydrate yourself and avoid those nasty caffeine induced headaches and shakes. The more you can cut out the better, but if you still need that mid-morning pick me up you’ll find it much more effective after just a few days when you give up the constant stream of coffee.
Do One Active Thing with the Family at Weekends
Make quality family time a good excuse to work a little active time in to your weekends too. If you have kids, take them on a nature trail – many woodland parks will have guides you can use for spotting wildlife, but you can always make your own! If you and your partner typically embark on lazy Sundays then change this to an morning swim, bike ride or gym session; you’ll both feel the benefit which makes for a much happier weekend overall. If you can get into a weekend routine whereby you always have something active planned you’ll soon feel the benefit as a whole family.
Keep Alcohol to the Weekends
When working life is stressful many of us feel tempted to pour ourselves a large drink to help wind down of an evening. Whilst the occasional glass of something stiff is fine, your alcohol intake can quickly increase without you even realising and this can lead to all kinds of health problems. Take a look at the NHS recommended alcohol intake on their website and see where your habits fall. Remember, drinking to the point where you are drunk is not only bad for your health, it’s also a sure-fire way to waste your precious leisure time nursing the aftermath of a hangover and sending those horrible apology texts the next day for your behaviour!
If you can make a point of making that treat weekly rather than daily, walking on your lunch, doing something active every weekend, replacing the coffee and minimising your alcohol intake, you’ll be embarking on a far healthier lifestyle!
