Developing a New Healthy Habit

Earlier this summer I decided I wanted to be healthier- mentally, emotionally, and physically. I thought about what I wanted to improve and what could help me get there. What I wanted was to find a good stress reliever to help improve my mental and emotional health along with getting me in better shape physically. My solution: running. I know many people who run and they are some of the healthiest people I know- in all areas of health. They are in good shape and they are happy, so I decided to give it a try.

The most important things when developing a new healthy habit are:

• Stay motivated- have your friends and family keep you on track and hold you accountable if needed. When I first started running I would text my friend about it every day.

• Don't discourage yourself- it's okay if you have a hard time sticking to it in the beginning. If you take a day off, look at it as an opportunity to try again tomorrow, don't give up because of one setback.

• Start slow- give yourself time to adjust to this new habit. They say on average it takes about 60 days to make a habit become more natural. That's two months. Stick with it and don't give up on yourself.

• Manage your expectations- results are not immediate for most new habits. For example, my habit of running, I did not lose weight after one run. It takes time to build towards your end goal. Be patient with yourself and trust the process.

To start, figure out what you need or what your life is lacking. From there, you can decide what habits you would like to start developing. Whatever you decide you need, remember everything listed above: start slow, manage your expectations, don't discourage yourself, and stay motivated!