How to Form New Habits and Stick to Them

Creating new habits can be challenging, especially when you’ve been stuck in unhealthy cycles. When it comes to discovering wellness, forming new habits and giving yourself compassion as you learn to stick to them is essential.

Awareness of Old and New Habits

Before beginning new, healthy habits, it is helpful to have awareness of the habits you would like to let go of and the habits you’d like to create and why. Knowing your intentions behind releasing certain habits and implementing the new habits you are creating can help you release ways of being that are no longer serving you and stick to the new ones you feel will serve you better.

Creating Consistency

One of the most important parts of creating new habits and keeping them is to complete the habit at the same time each day. Perhaps you’d like to begin replacing your afternoon coffee with water or tea. Perhaps you’d like to begin meditating in the morning instead of telling yourself you’ll do it at the end of the day only to never do so.

Carving out a specific time in your day when you will perform whatever habit you’re forming and sticking to that schedule as your mind and body become familiar with this new way of being can help habits stick more easily.

Rewarding Yourself

Although you don’t have to do anything to prove your worth to yourself or others, reinforcing new habits with something you look forward to can be helpful.

For instance, maybe you would like to begin your day with journaling in the morning before your day starts, and you also really enjoy coffee in the morning. You could reward yourself for doing the new habit with coffee afterward so you come to associate doing that habit with something you enjoy.

Releasing old habits and forming new ones can be challenging. There may be resistance to beginning to show up in your life and relationships in new ways as this challenges what is familiar. By bringing awareness to old habits as well as new ones, creating consistency, and rewarding yourself for showing up, you can create new habits and stick to them.

Creating new habits and sticking to them can be challenging when negative habits and cycles feel familiar. The discomfort that comes with creating consistency in new habits is often the hardest part of sticking to desired ways of being. At Avalon Malibu, we recognize how difficult it can be to stick to new habits when you do not have support, which is why our team is here to support you as you find wellness that works for you. If you are ready for support in your growth, call Avalon Malibu today at (844) 857-5992.