Summer is upon us.  Yes, it may be a few weeks until the actual changing of the seasons, but depending on where you live and what you’re doing, you’re probably feeling warmer temperatures, experiencing longer days, and possibly starting (or about to start) your summer break.

A wonderful thing about the changing of the seasons is that it brings a fresh feeling to life.  It gives us a chance to mix up our old routines, to reassess what we’d like our days to be full of, and to start afresh in any way we want.

The changing of the seasons can be a great time to start new habits, too.  As stated by Gretchen Rubin, author of Better than Before:  Mastering the habits of our everyday lives, utilizing opportunities where a “clean slate” presents itself to us is a great way to replace a bad habit or start a helpful new one.  The idea is that we gravitate toward the newness of an experience, because we’ve “wiped the slate clean” from the past, and now we get to start afresh¹.

So as the summer season approaches, is there anything you’d like to update on your health journey?

Maybe you’d like to eat more fresh produce, run a race, or take a group fitness class?  Maybe you’d like to get outside for family walks after dinner, or replace some screen time with reading a book?

Whatever pops into your mind as a goal for this summer, here are a few things that can help that new habit to stick:

Gretchen tells us that kicking off a new habit in style can solidify a starting point that we can always look back upon as “the day I began ___”.  Throw a party, post a picture on Instagram, declare your intention to a group of friends, or attend your first cooking class/group fitness class/running group, etc.  Anything you can do to commemorate your new habit can help you take advantage of this fresh season¹.

Set yourself up for greatness.

Just because you’re starting something new doesn’t mean the environment around you is set up for you to succeed.  Think through what needs to be true of your surroundings to aid you in achieving your goals.  Keeping certain foods out of the house and consistently having workout clothes at the ready are a couple of examples of setting up your environment to work for you².

Tell somebody.

Accountability is huge, so don’t keep your great goals to yourself.  Let a friend or family member in on what you’re wanting to accomplish, and they can cheer you on along the way.

Visualize what you want.

Picturing your success helps make it a reality, and also gives you a clearer view of what it is you want to accomplish.  Visualize what it looks like to successfully carry out your new habit, or better yet, draw this out and post it somewhere as motivation.

Take advantage of a fresh and clean start with summer just around the corner.  May this be your healthiest summer yet!

Written by Brittni Paris, SFC Coach and blogger

Credits:

¹G Rubin.  (2014, August 26).  Video: For habits, the strategy of the Clean Slate.  Retrieved from https://gretchenrubin.com/2014/08/video-for-habits-the-strategy-of-the-clean-slate

²R Andrews.  18 ways to transform your body immediately.  Retrieved from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/18-ways-to-transform-your-body

 

Photo Credits:

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Photo by Kendra Kamp on Unsplash