March 4th is National Unplugging Day, a day reserved for efforts towards detaching from modern technologies, constant productivity, FOMO, and general digital consumption. The day is designed to try and encourage better practices towards mental health in modern life through finding alternatives to social media and a better work, life, and screen time balance.
Reaching wellness is about finding stability in every sector of your life, from physical health to a sustainable work-life balance that works for you individually. Yet, many people make the mistake of limiting wellness to exercise or a healthy diet, forgetting about the vital role of mental health, the state of personal relationships, and even daily habits.
It was found that 59% of Millennials and 58% of Gen-Z are already experiencing the early stages of burnout. Burnout prompts an increased sense of failure and self-doubt, feeling helpless, trapped, defeated, and less motivated. That’s why it’s essential to know how to initiate change and stay on the right track to keep your habits alive and healthy.
Let’s dive into how you can recognize which areas of your day-to-day activities are beneficial to your long term, how to change habits for the better, and how you can come up with a game plan to reach your individual 360° wellness.
Aiming for long-term positive effects
As the famous adage goes, “watch your actions, because they become habits”. Often when it comes to habits, we attempt to try and strengthen them or eliminate them. Some of those negative habits are created because we believe they will help us feel better about ourselves when we believe we have been deprived in some way. One example would be after a week of strict dieting, who hasn’t been tempted to indulge a bit?
It’s not necessarily about depriving yourself of every small pleasure you can imagine. Instead, it’s about keeping the word you gave yourself and staying persistent in developing habits that will move you towards a better, more balanced lifestyle and overall well-being.
As they say, everything in moderation. Prioritize your long-term vision over short-term slips, and give yourself understanding when moving towards your goals isn’t always a linear equation. Life waxes and wanes, and sometimes things come up—but if you focus on the end-goal and allow yourself to get there when you get there, you will stay on track even if things don’t go as planned.
Forming new habits
Researchers at University College London found that, on average, building habits takes around 66 days before the behavior change becomes automatic.
It is important to note, however, that choice of habit was a major part of how long it actually took, making the spectrum of time it could take quite large—taking anywhere between 18 and 254 days. This translates to the fact that some habits are easier to form than others. At the end of the day, it all depends on how motivated you are and how much effort it takes for you to commit to a new habit. This means that sometimes it is more approachable to replace one habit with a less destructive replacement instead of going cold turkey where one is more liable to give in to temptation.
For instance, replacing coffee with green tea will probably be more feasible than replacing caffeine altogether. Or, for example why smokers first start to wean off of nicotine by first replacing cigarettes with patches with lesser amounts of nicotine. In order to truly change habits, here are some mistakes to avoid: Don’t focus too much on controlling your environment, don’t try to change too many habits at once, avoid pigeon-holing your thinking on the finite outcome, and finally don’t attempt changing any habits that are unrealistic for your daily life.
Carve rather than control your environment
As much as the motivational aspect is vital in maintaining your appetite for improvement, the environment you establish plays a crucial part as well. If something is out of sight, it’s out of mind. That’s why you should focus on creating an environment that reinforces positive habits.
Expose yourself to micro-stimulants that will increase your motivation.
For example, by simply keeping your workout clothes within reach, you may be more inclined to notice them, wear them, and go to the gym. The same goes for leaving your book on the bedside table, and so on.
Another positive practice could also be keeping your vitamins on a nightstand or bathroom counter where you see them often, encouraging you to take them more consistently. Many supplement companies have made boosting your health easier than ever before by making great-tasting products that people look forward to taking. One company, Kalavita is specially designed to power people’s potential through their naturally flavored, great-tasting, and uniquely combined supplemental gummies that help to generate the utmost benefits for people’s everyday health.
When you enjoy the taste, you’ll remember to take supplements every day as recommended—enabling you to establish a constructive habit in no time. The same principle can apply to forming any new positive habit, setting yourself up for success by making it easier to change or start habits. By keeping these practices as your guide, anyone can achieve 360° wellness.
This article contains a client of Espacio Portfolio
