How to Create Positive Daily Habits
When a friend of mine proposed to his fiancé he didn’t deliver your average proposal. For 21 days in a row, he did something special for her each day. He read it takes 21 days to establish a habit. He wanted to take his future vows seriously and get used to taking care of her everyday.
Pretty amazing huh?! Talk about being swept off your feet figuratively and literally. By the way she said yes if you didn’t already guess! Eight years later and three children they are still going strong.
What does it really take to establish a habit? Definitely consistency is one of the keys. That’s why it was suggested 21 days allows time to create a new pathway in your brain and become accustomed to the new skill. With my clients I like to use the example of how brushing our teeth, taking a shower, and washing our hair becomes second nature to us since childhood. What we usually haven’t learned is how to cope with negative emotions, dealing with crisis situations, and other challenging events that come up from time-to-time in our lives.
Learning healthier coping skills and implementing them in our lives on a regular basis creates – habits. Not every strategy or coping skill will work for everyone in the same way. We all have different styles and preferences as to deciding what works the best.
Whatever positive habits you choose, establishing a healthy routine is very helpful for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and other issues that may arise in our lives. It won’t be perfect but at least you have tools to fall back on when times get rough.
To read more on establishing healthy habits, click here: Three Daily Habits to Transform Your Life
