Finding space for a new habit

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Forming a habit is known to take 21 days. This is actually a myth. It’s true that there is a point when your routine becomes a habit that no longer requires added energy to perform, but the amount of time varies from person to person and what the activity is.

So how do you help maintain the repetition needed to get to habit? Here are a couple of key methods that have worked best for me.

Utilize slow times of the year

Instead of going for a new year’s goal, start a new habit during times of the year that are slower. During the summer, or the winter holidays. During slow work periods. During a vacation.

This allows you to better find the space to do your habit, instead of when you have a ton of other things going on. You’ll also have the mental energy to be strict about doing the thing you need to do regularly.

During the winter holidays, I like to spend my time thinking about the past year and my goals for the new year. I also think about my current healthy habits and if I need to start a new one, or change a bad habit. I then start the new routine, and by the time the new year starts, I’m already on my way and I feel better about focusing on my new year’s goals.

Fit it around other activities

When I wake up, before I get out of bed, I think about my day. As I do this, I have made it a habit to also journal about my previous day. I’ve also made it a habit to meditate to help calm all the various thoughts going through my head and start the day in a more relaxed state.

In the afternoon, after work and before dinner, I do my walk and cardio exercises. It’s a good way to reflect on my work for the day and I sometimes end up jotting some notes on my phone for the next day. By the end, I have a good appetite for dinner and can relax for the evening, feeling a sense of closure for the day.

And before going to bed is when I do my personal hygiene routine: shower, brush my teeth, floss, use mouthwash, and wash/moisturize my face. It feels good to go to bed having cleaned off from the day, and signals my body to get ready for sleep.

Doing these habits during select times of my day fits with how I normally go about my day and the mindset that I’m in.