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Some people in this world are truly rare beings. They are the ones who wake up in the morning after years of smoking and decide never to touch a cigarette ever again. They are the ones who go from sitting on the couch all day to running marathons.
While we may never understand how their mind works and what it took for them to get to a healthier state, it can be disheartening to see their drastic lifestyle change play out in front of us. This is especially so if you have been struggling to make a healthy lifestyle change for years and never reach your ultimate goal.
Chances are you have a tiny inner voice, always telling you that turning your life around isn’t something you can ever do. That you have failed multiple times, so why should this time be any different? Yet, the truth is, every single one of us can make healthy lifestyle changes that last.
Rather than completely altering your life, for a healthier lifestyle change to become part of your daily routine, it needs to be accomplished more organically. Much like all the things worth fighting for, you need patience, perseverance, and, most importantly, time to reach your goal.
Seven steps to help you make healthy lifestyle changes that last
Whether you want to quit smoking or lower your BMI, run a marathon, or spend more time exercising outside, you can adopt these seven steps to reach your goal without being so hard on yourself.
Use CBD
Cannabinol (CBD) is the trending new product on the market that many use for various health issues from insomnia to depression. There are CBD products for relieving anxiety and others to help people who suffer from seizures. Unlike marijuana, NuLeaf Naturals CBD does not have psychoactive effects, so you cannot get high, nor is there a risk of overdose.
CBD can help you reach your goal by making you feel calmer and ease any feelings of anxiety. Preliminary studies have shown that, among many things, this natural compound can stimulate the body to release serotonin to infuse users with feelings of well-being.
Establish the ultimate goal
Knowing what your ultimate goal looks like is the first step to making a lasting change. It doesn’t matter whether your goal sounds superficial or not, as long as it motivates you to make a change. Losing weight to feel healthier is a great goal, but for some people, losing weight so they can wear the latest fashion trends is a more significant motivator.
Once you establish your goal, don’t just leave it at the back of your mind. It would be best to remind yourself daily of this goal to remember why you are waking up early to work out or why you are leaving that pack of cigarettes at home. Set a reminder on your phone calendar to notify you of the goal first thing in the morning. Stick pictures in your house that remind you of this goal. Make it as tangible and as irresistible as it can be so you can stay focused.
Break down the goal into tiny steps
Your goal will look like your ultimate dream, but when things get hard, that goal can seem too good to come true. To avoid being disheartened when things get challenging, it is essential to break down your plan into tiny steps. From Mel Robbins to Tony Robbins, Leo Babauta, and more, the best life coaches out there will tell you that to reach your goal, breaking it down into tiny steps and celebrating small wins is the best way to earn the ultimate win.
Make it simple
Simplicity is often underrated, and yet, as in most things — from art to life, there is nothing better than simplicity. Reaching your ultimate goal is a feat in itself, especially if you have that constant voice in your head, reminding you of how many times you have failed already.
So when it comes to planning, simplify, simplify, simplify. If your goal is to lose weight, but you have never worked out a day in your life, it would be simpler to start by walking ten thousand steps a day rather than heading to a boot camp class on day one of your lifestyle change.
If eating healthy is the goal, start with easy dishes such as roasting chicken breast and vegetables in one oven dish with a few herbs and a dash of olive oil and meal prep for a whole week, so that there are always healthy things available in the fridge.
Use mindfulness
Even if you simplify, stick pictures on the wall, and experience tiny wins, that negative voice in your head will always spot roadblocks in your health journey and use them as an excuse to get you to give up.
Although you cannot permanently get rid of that voice in your head, you must realize that while the thoughts you experience are real, you don’t have to believe them. As some of the best modern gurus and spiritual teachers will tell you, you are not your thoughts, nor are you your emotions. You are the awareness behind them.
Welcome setbacks
Just because you have embarked on your health journey, it does not mean you will behave flawlessly for the rest of your life. You may experience setbacks, and when you do, rather than beating yourself up, you should welcome them as another opportunity to prove that you are stronger than your habits. So dust yourself off and revert to your healthy ways.
Seek support
Although this is your journey, remember that you don’t need to do this alone. Find like-minded people who can support you when the journey gets tough. These days, it’s easy to find an online support group with whom you can share your struggles. You can also find someone from your pool of friends and family. Maybe they can join you on your workout, or you can prepare healthy meals together.
Healthy lifestyle changes that last do so because the person taking on these new habits knows that the ultimate goal trump’s immediate victories. Six months from now, you could be the one amazing others by your transformation, so really, what are you waiting for?
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