Changing Seasons

I don’t know if it is from years of working in the school system or being a parent, but September always feels like the start of the new year for me. Can you relate? Recently, the evenings are cooler, signaling the change in the season. And with back to school on the horizon, many people are trying to figure out how to adjust to new routines and habits.

This might seem silly, but for years now I have been in the habit if setting the timer on the coffee pot and making lunches the night before. This is a habit that sets me up for success in the busy morning. There are some new habits that I have been thinking about and that I want to incorporate into my life. I’m working on a plan for this and thought I’d share it here with you.

Reflecting:

I spent some time thinking about what I wanted to change in my life, did I want to add something or stop a behaviour that is getting in my way? I landed on the goal of wanting to increase the amount of walking I am doing each week. Part of my reflection included looking at why this is important to me.

Creating a plan:

I also spent some time thinking about what my goal is and what might work for me to help me achieve it. I used the SMART goal format (see info graph below).

Using specific tools:

I decided to try some different tools to help myself make this change. I know that I do better when I share my plan with someone else, so I “recruited an accountability partner”. Someone to join me on walks or share walking targets with.

I incorporated the concept of habit stacking into my plan. Habit stacking is the idea of adding something new to your routine that can be linked to something that you are already pretty good at doing. For example, I’m already good at setting up my coffee pot each evening for the next day, so after I finish filling the machine with water, I can go for an evening walk.

I really like using principles from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) which is values based. When thinking about changing a behaviour, ACT principles encourage me to reflect on if the behaviour aligns with my values of what is important to me and the person I want to be. For example, why is increasing my walking habit important to me? Answers to this question include: my health is important to me, being outside is good for my physical and mental health and walking with my friends or family equals connection time.

The final tool that I like to use when making change is self-compassion. I think that is takes courage to acknowledge that there is something in your life that you want to change. Change takes time, dedication and consistency. Change can also be hard, which is why being kind and compassionate towards myself is also important. If I beat myself up for missing a walk, it is not going to feel very motivating to get out there and do it.

If any of this resonated with you, take the ideas and make them work for you. Remember that change takes time and reasons for change are unique to all of us.

Lisa xo