{"id":24324,"date":"2023-01-10T08:57:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/?p=24324"},"modified":"2023-12-08T11:59:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T19:59:41","slug":"five-tips-to-make-lasting-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/news\/five-tips-to-make-lasting-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow Five Tips to Make Changes That Last"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article\">\n\t<header class=\"header\">\n\t\t<span class=\"type\"><\/span>\t\t<h1>Follow Five Tips to Make Changes That Last<\/h1>\t\t<time>January 10, 2023<\/time>\n\t<\/header>\n\t<div id=\"block_5c420c76cc64ea250bc7e4b3de4274d6\" class=\"shs-block block-news-article entry-content\">\n\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acf-innerblocks-container\">\n\n<p>Making a New Year\u2019s resolution is easy but sticking to it can be challenging. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating habits \u2013 whether it\u2019s doing something new like eating healthy or exercising more or breaking a habit such as smoking or spending too much money&nbsp;\u2013&nbsp; takes commitment and patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA big obstacle for many people when trying to change habits is that they are too hard on themselves if they don\u2019t make quick progress reaching their goal or if they have a setback, which can lead to them to giving up,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/patients-visitors\/find-a-doctor\/petersen-devin-1306572441\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Devin Petersen, PhD<\/a>, a psychologist with <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/find-a-location\/samaritan-family-medicine-resident-clinic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Samaritan Family Medicine Resident Clinic<\/a> in Corvallis. \u201cMaking change is hard, that\u2019s why it\u2019s important to start small and focus on realistic ways of making a new habit a regular part of your routine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Habits are formed with repetition. Consider all the things you do every day without really thinking about it like brushing your teeth. The more you do something, the more it becomes part of your daily routine and the easier it is to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis is the key to change &nbsp;\u2013&nbsp; making something part of your routine so that it becomes automatic and not dependent on your willpower,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<br>No matter what habit you are trying to change, you can\u2019t expect yourself to miraculously stick to something new without first setting yourself up for success.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following five tips can help you establish new habits, break bad habits and keep you on the right track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-start-small\">1. Start Small<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about your goal and what you need to do to reach it. Then begin taking small steps to adopt that behavior as a regular part of your routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s say you want to commit to reaching your steps goal every day by adding a walk to your daily routine. You don\u2019t need to start by hitting your goal right away; start small,\u201d said Dr. Petersen. \u201cMaybe the first week you just step outside every day after dinner or on a work break, the next week you walk down the street, then the following week you walk around the block, and so on. Start with something small that you can do it even on your hardest of days.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look out for anything that might cause friction, including how much time something takes or the amount of mental effort required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Small steps are also important if you\u2019re trying to break a bad habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/health-services\/classes-and-events\/\">quit smoking<\/a>, for example, you don\u2019t necessarily have to quit cold turkey. You could start by reducing the total number of cigarettes you\u2019re smoking each day. \u201cBy starting small you can work at being really consistent instead of trying to use willpower to accomplish your overall goal all at once,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-know-your-cues\">2. Know Your Cues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To be successful it helps to have clear and consistent cues, which are things that automatically trigger a behavior, such as the time of day, the people you\u2019re with, how you\u2019re feeling or your location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUsing the example of reaching your steps goal every day, you might place your tennis shoes by your dishwasher, which would cue you to go for a walk after loading the dishwasher every morning,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf your goal is to practice self-care daily, your cue could be tucking your kids in bed, which prompts you to spend five minutes reading or practicing mindfulness,\u201d added Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cues tell your body when it\u2019s time to do something and, over time, they help the behavior to become automatic and less reliant on your motivation. Cues are also important if you\u2019re trying to break a bad habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s say you want to limit your alcohol intake. Think about the cues that lead you to have a drink. Is it the time of day? The people you are with? Maybe it\u2019s just the stresses of a workday,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you understand what your cues are for the habit you\u2019re trying to break, you can try to remove or change the cues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor example, if you\u2019re trying to quit smoking and you always want a cigarette when you\u2019re having a cup of coffee, then you could eliminate the cue by switching to drinking to tea,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to cut back on something like smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating unhealthy foods, consider not keeping those things in your house. If you do keep them in your house place them in locations that are not visible or readily accessible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-do-something-you-enjoy\">3. Do Something You Enjoy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When making changes, try to do something you enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re trying to exercise more, for example, do an activity that you love instead of one you only barely tolerate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf you love water or experience a lot of discomfort while walking, try swimming. If you really enjoyed bike riding as a kid, that might be great exercise for you,\u201d said Dr. Petersen. \u201cIf you don\u2019t like going to the gym, for example, that\u2019s probably not the ideal way to ensure you will stick with an exercise program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-reward-yourself\">4. Reward Yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re starting a new habit, it is important to try to make the experience rewarding. If you cannot make the behavior you do rewarding, you can try rewarding yourself immediately afterwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor example, you can only listen to a favorite podcast during or immediately after you\u2019ve completed your workout,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To break a bad habit, see if you can make it less rewarding. For example, setting your phone or TV to gray scale. You might also consider what alternative positive habits you are trying to build. &nbsp;<br>For example, if you want to spend less time on your phone, focus on what it is you can do with that freed up time. Maybe it\u2019s spending more time with your family or focusing on a hobby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-be-consistent\">5. Be Consistent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you hit a setback, it is important to focus on consistency by stepping back to see how your system can be adjusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOften setbacks occur when context changes,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, perhaps you had a regular jogging routine after work but then the winter cold comes and it is more difficult for you to get outside. This is a great time to step back and adjust your routine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen people experience change or feel weak or vulnerable, automatic responses often override good intentions,\u201d said Dr. Petersen. \u201cSetbacks are normal and can be frustrating. It\u2019s important to be patient with yourself and recognize a slip up is not a character flaw, but likely reflects a change to your context. You can then work to redesign your context for your habit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith a good system in place, a commitment to make the change and repetition &#8212; the behavior you\u2019re after will eventually become automatic,\u201d said Dr. Petersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ready to build new habits or break an existing one? Dr. Petersen recommends reading \u201cAtomic Habits\u201d by James Clear, \u201cTiny Habits\u201d by BJ Fogg, or talking with your primary care provider about meeting with a Behavioral Health Consultant.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<aside>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"360\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/new-year-new-start-323-CO.jpg\" class=\"attachment-cta size-cta wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/new-year-new-start-323-CO.jpg 360w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/new-year-new-start-323-CO-300x250.jpg 300w, https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/new-year-new-start-323-CO-120x100.jpg 120w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t<\/aside>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making resolutions is easy, it&#8217;s keeping them that\u2019s the challenge! Psychologist Devin Petersen offers practical tips for developing new and lasting habits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":14438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_shs_workflow_notes":"","_shs_exclude_from_navigation":false,"_shs_promote_article_on_blogs":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"news-topics":[293],"news-types":[270],"services":[248,267],"specialty":[46,49],"class_list":["post-24324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","news-topics-wellness","news-types-feature-article","services-mental-behavioral-health","services-weight-management","specialty-mental-health","specialty-health-fitness"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24324\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"news-topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topics?post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"news-types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-types?post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"services","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/services?post=24324"},{"taxonomy":"specialty","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samhealth.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/specialty?post=24324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}