How to develop positive new habits

The pandemic has caused much uncertainties and disruption. Besides vaccinations and safe distancing measures, it would be helpful for us to develop habits to stay fit and healthy so as to lower the chances of infections and to enhance well-being. 

The development of positive habits can lead to a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

In the book Atomic Habits, author James Clear noted that good habits can be created by making them obvious, attractive, easy and satisfying. I have incorporated his recommendations into my daily lifestyle to improve my well-being.

Habits can be defined as automatic, routine, regular behaviours that are linked to cues, cravings, responses and rewards.

A simple and powerful way to build new habits is to attach them to habits that one already has.

I have conveniently attached new habits to my existing habits.

In the mornings, after my habit of brushing my teeth, I added the habit of a few minutes of quick exercises such as stretching, push ups and leg raises.

Similarly, after my fruits and vegan protein breakfast smoothie, I included the habit of taking my supplements so that I won’t forget them.

This approach is called stacking where one obvious habit is followed by another new habit.

Using stacking, which is a convenient way to build new habits, I start my day with exercise, a wholesome breakfast and supplements.  

Secondly, one can make hard habits more attractive by linking an action that one enjoys with an action that one needs to do.

I enjoy listening to inspiring and interesting podcasts such as Pass the Power by Paige Parker, who interviews prominent Singaporeans such as Professor Tommy Koh and Kishore Mahbubani.

I would also like to develop my endurance through stair-climbing.

Stair-climbing is not the most exciting exercise but it is a good, low-impact aerobic activity. I have started listening to the podcasts while climbing 24 levels of stairs repeatedly. 

Through bundling stair-climbing and listening to podcasts, time passes quickly, pleasantly and productively as I get a vigorous workout and also stimulate my mind with mentally engaging online discussions.

Bundling can be an attractive way to include regular aerobic exercise in one’s life.

During the work-from-home (WFH) period when one can spend hours seated indoors in front of the laptop or computer, it is certainly helpful to get quality exercise.

Another option is to take walking breaks in parks and near nature. It has been scientifically proven that exercise and activities near nature are good for the body and mind.

It also helps one to destress and feel better.

Other than lunch meetings, I have offered friends and associates the option of morning or evening walking meetings.

By bundling, one can easily integrate new habits that require more effort. 

For those who would like to develop mindfulness, one swift and effective way to start mindful practice is to focus calmly and comfortably on one’s breath.

It can start with one breath. In this age of persistent digital stimulus and getting a quick buzz, some may not find mindful practice easy. 

One can bundle the mindful practice of breathing with waiting. While waiting for the lift or waiting to be served during meals or at any point in time where one has to wait, one can start focusing on one breath and gradually increase the one-breath focus to be more breaths.

This can also be done while waiting for Zoom meetings to start.

Mindfulness calms the mind, heart and body. It is also a relaxing yet refreshing way to develop calm focus.

Bundling mindful breathing with the waiting periods makes these periods a joyful and mindful breeze. 

 The third way to develop habits to enhance one’s well-being is to create an environment that encourages good habits and makes it easy to promote positive responses. 

When we work from home, we can spend hours in Zoom or Teams meeting.

To encourage myself to look far and take vision breaks, I have located my working space behind a window where I can look at the beautiful sky and greenery far away.

This environment has enabled me to relax my eyes more often, compared to the times when I am working in the office.

This habit helps me to have regular vision breaks and also appreciate the cloud formations in the sky. 

To further enhance my environment, I also put an exercise band next to me, so that I can use the band for squats, bicep curls or shoulder presses in between my meetings.

I realised that this would break the sedentary practice of sitting down for prolonged periods.

The simple practice of putting a cheap exercise band in my WFH environment has promoted a new and energising habit of having frequent mini exercise and stretch breaks.

To further boost my well-being, I developed the habit of placing a container of water within arm’s reach, to hydrate myself regularly.          

To internalise these habits and make it part of a healthier lifestyle, I have a calendar next to me where I scribble and track the progress made with these habits.

The application of stacking, bundling, priming the environment and tracking the habits has helped me to introduce positive new habits to enable me to be fitter and healthier, during this pandemic.

As I transition to working in the office, I will continue to develop these wholesome practices.

You can also apply these learning points to develop habits in your life to be stronger, healthier and happier. Let’s use this period to thrive for the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Edmund Lim is head of business development, Asia at ThriveDX, a global cyber education company. He was previously a senior vice president of a company that established international schools and invested in edu-tech companies in Asia.