3 effective ways to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life

The acquisition of healthy habits can have a positive impact on your life (1), for example, by reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, improving mental health and emotional, reducing the risk of depression and anxiety and increasing life expectancy and quality of life in general. (2)

But how can we change bad habits incorporate healthy habits and maintain them long term? This seems to be a big challenge. 

Before seeing 3 effective ways to acquire habits beneficial to health, it is important to know what the process of changing habits is like to understand that it is a conscious and constant exercise that requires the will of people.

Changing habits involves several stages, which depend on each person and their specific context. 3 In general terms, the stages that a habit change process can occur are:

1. Contemplation: At this stage, the person recognizes the need to change their habit and begins to consider the possibility of doing so. The phrase that defines this stage is: “I'm thinking about changing.” It is the point at which the person seeks the motivation to start, either because he feels that he needs to improve his health, increase his energy levels, or improve his overall quality of life. (4)
2. Preparation: In this stage, the person commits to making the change and begins to plan how they are going to carry it out. The person has already decided what is going to change and takes action to plan how to execute the change and what they need to do. At this point, people can now set specific goals to achieve. (4)
3. Action: In this stage, the person carries out the habit change and begins to practice new behaviors. The plan that was created in the previous stage begins to be executed and the person already applies the changes that he decided to implement in his daily life, starting the path towards his objectives. (5)
4. Maintenance: In this stage, the person ensures that the change is maintained in the long term and adopts strategies to avoid relapses, which if they happen, are also part of the process. It is estimated that the person reaches this stage if they have already maintained the changes for more than 6 months. (5)

It is important to highlight that these stages are not always presented linearly and sequentially and that the duration and complexity of the habit change process can vary considerably depending on each case. (6)

How to incorporate healthy habits into your daily life?

Once the person who wants to incorporate healthy habits has identified what they want to change and draws up their action plan, they must create a development framework that makes it easier for them to carry out their changes. As we have seen, it is not a simple process, so having supportive tactics is a good idea to increase the chances of successfully changing habits. Let's look at 3 techniques that can boost your results.

Reminders and tracking diary Technology is your ally. Set alarms and reminders both visual and auditory to help you remember to do the new habit. For example, if the habit you want to adopt is to incorporate breaks into your day to rest your mind or stretch your body, you can set an alarm on your cell phone, and schedule reminder emails or voice alarms to break the routine. 

A report from the American Psychological Association (APA) notes that 23% of people who used an alarm to remind them to exercise reported greater motivation to do so. (7)

It also works great to keep a journal that records your progress. The positive thing about this exercise is not only that it forces you to maintain it day after day, but that your achievements will serve as motivation. According to a report from Harvard University, using journals to establish and maintain healthy habits can increase the likelihood of success by 50%. (8)

Apply the "foot in the door" technique This method involves starting with small commitments, with the understanding that this practice can lead to a greater willingness to make larger changes. For example, if the person wants to start exercising, he can start by adding 10-minute walks a day and gradually increase the time. A 2023 study by Dr. Wang, dedicated to investigating changing eating habits, found that 65.7% of participants in the foot-in-the-door group were willing to eat healthily compared to 46.9% of the control group. (9)

Create an environment conducive to change Making changes in your environment to facilitate the incorporation of the new habit is essential. In a survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation, 65% of participants said that making changes to their environment (such as getting rid of unhealthy foods at home) had helped improve their mental health. (10)

One last piece of advice that can help people looking to change habits and incorporate healthy habits is to find a partner to accompany you on this path of change. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, 77% of people who were successful in changing habits had the support of a friend or family member. (eleven)