It’s about this time of year, toward the end of January, when our 1st of the year “I’m gonna rock this life stuff!” motivation slowly starts to wane. We know we need to take better care of ourselves because last year left us feeling kind of exhausted, and we were so ready to dive head first into all the changes we want to make for our lives- but it’s easy to fall back into old routines and so hard to stick to new, healthy habits!

So, we’re here to say, “We know it’s hard, but don’t give up yet!” Small changes can make a big impact.

Here are some ways to increase your health and the health of your business:

1. Eat well and regularly. If you’re someone prone to skipping meals when you get busy, pre-make some meals or have simple, nutritious snacks on hand: nuts, trail mix, fruit, crackers, veggies, cheese. You’ll feel better and get more done if you give your mind and body the good food energy it needs. Fuel yourself to do your best work- you can’t run on empty!
2. Drink enough water. When you’re dehydrated you can feel weak, head-achy and hungry. The more you satiate your need for water the more easily you’ll be able to concentrate on your work. Try drinking water first thing upon waking to jump-start your nervous system and rehydrate yourself after sleep. Keep water by your side as you work and aim to drink at least 64oz a day.
3. Exercise regularly. Yeah, we don’t much like it either, but we all know we need exercise to keep our minds and bodies strong, and to help keep us energized enough to take on the day. Not only that, exercise can make you feel happier and less stressed. It’s a practice in focus, in pushing ourselves, in conquering fear- all of which are skills you can turn around and put right back into your business!
4. Downtime. It’s easy to fill up all the hours in the day with so much work and responsibility that there’s no time left for you. Schedule in downtime. Schedule a vacation. Find 10 minutes of quiet and take a breath. Make it happen for yourself. You’ll have so much more to give to your business and to your relationships, if you give to yourself often and regularly.
5. Routinize. The more ways you can find ways to routinize self-care into your day, the more time you’ll have to focus on your work and other daily responsibilities. Begin a morning routine to start everyday off on the right foot, or schedule breaks into your day specifically to eat, take a walk, take care of yourself. Incorporating healthy habits into your daily routine will help you feel calmer, clearer and more prepared to take-on whatever the day brings.

You can start bringing healthier habits into your life and you can stick with ‘em too! Here’s how:

1. Have a strong why. Why do you want to develop this new habit? What benefits will it bring to your life? If you can connect your why to a reason you feel strongly about- if your habit will affect your health, relationships, business, life in general in a positive way- it will help keep you motivated, dedicated and give you the willpower juice you need to create some real change.
2. Tackle each habit one at a time. So, you want to start eating healthier and exercising more, drawing, meditating and going on date nights regularly- if you attempt to make all those changes all at once, you’re going to fizzle out- sho’nuf. Choose one new habit to start with and focus on that until it becomes a regular part of your day, and then tackle the next one.
3. Stick with it for 30 days. Once you stick to something for 30 days, you’ll realize, you can stick to something for 30 days! And that will help keep your motivation chugging right along. The 30-60 day range is the crucial time in which true habits are created, so stick. with. it. It can also take that much for the benefits of your new healthy ways to start sinking in, but once they do, you’ll want to stick with your new habit because you’ll want to keep feeling this darn good!
4. Share the experience. Habits like accountability- tell your family, tell your friends, shout about it on facebook, write a blog post about it- if you say you’re gonna do something for real like that, then you kinda want to actually do it. For real. Habits also like buddies. Find a friend to exercise with, try healthy recipes with your hubby, make green smoothies for your kids- the more people you get in on it, the better!
5. Stay positive. When you fail one day, do better the next day. When your mind says “I want to quit!” tell it to hush-up and focus on the benefits this new habit will bring to you. When you get frustrated, have patience with yourself, and patience with the process. Keep track of how you’re doing in your planner or on a computer calendar- it’s motivating to watch your progress and see how far you’ve come!

We know firsthand how hard it is to stay motivated with all our well-intentions, but we’ve also seen the amazing benefits that healthier habits bring to our bodies, minds, relationships and our businesses- those benefits are well worth all the hard days in the early stages, you’ll see.

Be patient and keep at it, and as your new changes start to become full fledged habits, you’ll find they start to feel like a natural part of your everyday- something you enjoy doing, look forward to and know you need to do to feel your best!

You are not too busy to take care of your own health and happiness- you can start creating better habits today! What’s one new healthy habit you want to bring into your own life? And when are you going to start? (the accountability part starts now, hah!)