About eight years ago, James Clear wrote a book on improving your habits. It was, and has been, a best seller since then, and for good reason.
Atomic Habits provided a practical understanding of why we have the habits we do and how we might meaningfully change them.
So, let’s go over a few simple, practical habits that can lead to significant improvements in your overall health.
Ways to Improve Your Health
1. Don’t drink your calories.
This might be a change you ease yourself into. The biggest culprits here are fruit juices, full-sugar sodas, and alcohol. Even switching from regular soda to diet soda can lead to significant changes.
As a general rule, it’s easier to substitute something in place of a current habit rather than get rid of it entirely.
2. Think small, tiny changes, over time.
Most folks want big, dramatic adjustments to their habits. New Year’s resolutions are typically grand in scope.
Rather than completely overhauling your diet, what marginal improvements can you make to your day or week that will have a meaningful impact? If you normally eat three eggs, could you eat two? If you eat out three to four times per week, could you scale back to two or three?
Focus on moving the dial a notch at a time. It’s more consistent and sustainable than adopting an entirely new habit that can’t be maintained longer than a few weeks.
3. Create friction, and lower friction.
Make it harder to get the foods you know you shouldn’t mindlessly consume, like chips, cookies, etc. Put them on the top shelf that requires a step ladder to get to. Don’t put candy on your desk. If you always stop for fast food on the way home, try taking a different route to avoid the drive-through temptation. I heard a story once of a person who put his wallet in his trunk just to avoid this very scenario.
On the flip side, make it easier to consume the foods you know would be better to eat. Put your fruits front and center in your refrigerator. Prepare your vegetables the night before so they’re ready to go as a snack. Park farther away. Take the stairs.
None of these changes is groundbreaking. In fact, you’ve probably heard them before. Habits are hard to change, but not impossible. Getting support from friends and family can be absolutely game-changing for some folks (whereas for others, that can be a source of the problem itself).
Now more than ever, there are tremendous resources available to help you improve your health. At the end of the day, do your best, make some small changes, stay active, and give yourself some grace. This stuff is hard, but keep trying.
About the Author
Dan Raimondi is a strength and conditioning coach with over 15 years of experience. In that time, he has worked with people from every walk of life, from high school and college athletes to great-grandmas trying to get stronger as they age. He lives in South Fargo with his wife and three kids and operates a small, private strength training facility. He can be reached at [email protected].
