You shouldn’t need a significant life event to occur for you to want to change certain behaviors. 

For many people, turning a specific age or dealing with a severe illness is the wake-up call they need to focus on their health, but you shouldn’t wait until then before you think about taking care of yourself and your health. 

I know, I know, there are so many things we have to do that we can feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of it. 

From work, childcare, remote learning and work, cleaning, shopping, and making meals, today’s life has many challenges that we don’t even feel the stress building up until it’s too late. 

This is why taking care of your health is so important. Stress can have short-term impacts but may also contribute to significant health issues if left alone.

Stress left unchecked can impact you in ways you may not even be aware of. 

Stress can:

• Lower the immune system making you more susceptible to illness. 
• Wreak havoc on your emotional wellbeing, even leading to depression. 
• Increase sense of fatigue.
• Contribute to cardiovascular disease, be a cause for heart attacks and strokes.
• Hamper brain function and cognition.
• Impact sleep patterns making it difficult to feel rested after sleeping. 

If you feel the need to make a change for the better, you need to develop a strategy to get you on the right path and one that you can maintain over time. 

The biggest problem that people make as they try to change their behaviors is that they try to take on too much change without a reward system in place and lack accountability to their goals. 

In fact, studies show that most resolutions fail by up to 80%. 

So how do you make a positive change stick? 

Make Your Changes Permanent

To make lasting behavioral changes, you first need to understand a few reasons you want to make that change and how it will benefit you. Ask yourself these questions. What is it that you want to change, why is it important, and how do you plan to tackle the issue?

Start With A Plan

When you figure out the what and the why of your goal, next start to plan the how. How do you intend to make this change, and what are the steps you can do to accomplish them.

If getting in better shape is something you’re considering, then looking to join a gym or exercise program at the local community center is a good starting point. 

I know what you’re thinking. With childcare being so tricky right now, how can I take time to exercise? The answer is to find a gym with daycare, or a workout when the kids are in class or some other activity that you don’t need to be present for. 

As you make the physical effort needed to change, another thing to consider is your nutrition. What you put into your body will either enhance the benefits of exercise or hinder your efforts. Think about changing your eating habits, the types of foods you eat, and considering supplements specific to your age requirements and needs. 

Find An Accountability Buddy

As you act on your plan, the going can be easy at first. As you begin to get into a routine, there will undoubtedly be obstacles that will try to derail your motivation. 

That’s why finding a person you can rely on, whether it’s a friend, family member, or coach, you need a person that can hold you accountable and motivate you to stay on track even when you don’t feel up to it. 

Plan For Small Gains To Make Major Changes

When you’re planning your transformation, the best way to make progress is the one-day-at-a-time approach. When starting on a goal, the process may seem overwhelming, so finding a way to make small, easily achievable gains is the best way to create building blocks for success. 

Think of it this way. 

A marathon runner doesn’t focus on the distance, rather the step-by-step strategy. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other allows the runner to dedicate to one thing at a time and not worry about the totality of the distance.