Staying Consistent With Healthy Habits (Even When Life Gets Crazy!)
Hey there, wellness warriors! 👋 Let's chat about something we ALL struggle with – keeping up with those healthy habits when life decides to throw us curveballs (which, let's be honest, happens pretty much every week, right?). You know the drill. You're crushing your morning meditation, drinking your water, moving your body daily... and then BAM! A work deadline appears, your kid gets sick, or life just happens. Suddenly, those carefully cultivated habits start slipping away. First, I want you to know: this is completely normal. Consistency isn't about perfection – it's about returning to your habits again and again, even after you've stepped away from them. Why We Fall Off Track (And Why It's Not Your Fault!) There's actually brain science behind why maintaining habits is so challenging. Our brains are wired to conserve energy and stick with familiar patterns. When stress hits, our brain's executive function (the part responsible for decision-making and willpower) gets depleted faster. This means when you're tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, your brain literally has less capacity to choose that healthy habit over the easier option. So if you've been beating yourself up about your "lack of discipline" – please stop! Your brain is just doing what brains do. My 5 Favorite Strategies for Staying Consistent After years of my own ups and downs with healthy habits (and working with our amazing community), here are the approaches I've found most helpful: 1. Make it ridiculously small The number one mistake I see? Setting habits that are too big to maintain during busy times. Instead of "I'll exercise for 30 minutes daily," try "I'll do 5 minutes of movement daily." When you have more time and energy, you can always do more, but that tiny minimum keeps consistency possible. Quick tip: What's one healthy habit you're working on? How could you make it smaller and more doable for your busiest days? 2. Stack your habits Attach your new habit to something you already do without thinking. This is called habit stacking, and it's magical!