Building Sustainable Habits That Stick
Building Sustainable Habits That Stick
This post is the 13th installment in my series of 12 simple, realistic steps to help you feel stronger, healthier, and more vibrant.. Each post covers one action that supports longevity, hormonal balance, and energy, no matter your age or current health status. You can catch up on prior posts at the links below.
Building Sustainable Habits That Stick
You’ve made it to blog #13 in our 12 Simple Actions series—congrats! By now, you’ve learned that wellness doesn’t have to be complicated, extreme, or trendy to be effective. What it does need to be is consistent and adaptable.
And that’s the focus of today’s topic: how to build habits that actually last.
Why Are Healthy Habits So Hard to Stick With?
People often look for shortcuts—the secret, the latest hack, or whatever their friend is doing that seems to be working. We want to feel different right away. However, when a week of workouts or a few days of eating well don’t yield visible results, we become discouraged. Alternatively, we may feel that it needs to be intense for 30 days, 75 days, or 90 days, which can lead to burnout. And when we reach the end of those 30 days, 75 days, or 90 days, then what? For most people, it signals the end and not always a jump-start to continue.
Here’s the thing: habits that lead to lasting change take time, and they often don’t deliver instant gratification. Research shows it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit. Other research suggests that it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a habit. Additionally, our brains are wired to gravitate toward the easier path.
Habits that give immediate rewards, like binge-watching a show or eating sugar, are more easily reinforced in the brain. Healthy habits often offer delayed benefits, which is why they take longer to stick.
So how do we create wellness wins that become a part of our everyday life?
Reasons Results Come With Consistency
Nutrition Changes Compound Over Time
Eating well for a week? Great. However, your cholesterol, energy levels, digestion, and even mood respond better to patterns that develop over time. Think about it like saving money—you won’t retire rich after one paycheck, but consistent saving adds up. So does consistent nourishment.
Exercise Gets Easier—and More Effective—With Time
The first few weeks of a new fitness routine can feel awkward, exhausting, and unmotivating. But your body adapts. With consistent effort and progressive overload, you build strength, endurance, and even confidence. Real change isn’t always visible at first, but it’s happening.
Daily Self-Care Is Like Daily Hygiene
Staying hydrated, getting sufficient sleep, managing stress, and taking care of yourself are habits that require daily attention. Just like brushing your teeth. You wouldn’t skip it for days and expect good results.
5 Brain-Based Reasons Bad Habits Are Easier to Form
Immediate Rewards: Unhealthy habits often feel good right now, which triggers dopamine (the brain’s feel-good chemical). That’s true with all kinds of things, not just sugar and cocaine, as people suggest.
Less Effort: Grabbing fast food or skipping the gym takes less energy.
Familiarity: Your brain prefers routine, even if it’s not serving you well.
Emotional Triggers: Stress, boredom, or anxiety can lead to comfort behaviors.
Social Influence: Seeing others indulge makes unhealthy choices feel more acceptable.
How to Create Healthy Habits That Stick
Here are 8 strategies to help you build sustainable wellness wins:
Start Small: Focus on one habit at a time. Example: Drink one extra glass of water daily.
Tie It to Something You Already Do: After brushing your teeth, stretch for 2 minutes. This creates a cue.
Track Progress Visually: Use a calendar, app, or checkboxes. Seeing progress reinforces the behavior.
Celebrate Milestones: Not just the outcome, but also celebrate the effort.
Make It Enjoyable: Choose foods, movement, and routines that you like. This isn’t punishment.
Be Realistic: Don’t commit to 5:00 AM workouts if you’re not a morning person.
Have a Backup Plan: Missed a gym session? Go for a 15-minute walk instead.
Get Support: Accountability helps. This can be from a friend, group, or coach. What works for you?
Life Happens—How to Adjust Your Habits When It Does
No matter how strong your habits are, life can throw curveballs.
Let’s talk about some examples:
Injury: You’re in the best shape of your life and get sidelined. Now what? Focus on rehabilitating, improving flexibility, or strengthening the upper body if the lower body is affected. Pivot, don’t quit.
Caregiving or Work Stress: Your time and emotional bandwidth are limited. Look for small wins: meal prep on Sundays, take 10-minute walk breaks, schedule 5-minute check-ins with yourself.
Travel or Holidays: Don’t throw out the habits, adjust them. Bring snacks, stretch in your hotel, and hydrate more.
The key is adaptability. Sustainable habits evolve with your life, not in spite of it.
5 Additional Examples:
New baby? Focus on nutrition and hydration over gym time.
New job? Prioritize sleep and batch your meals.
Moved cities? Explore new grocery stores or join a walking group.
Death in the family? Prioritize mental health and support.
Starting school again? Create a structure with your calendar and make time for movement between classes.
Journal Prompts & Action Steps
Let’s formalize this and focus on adopting a habit you want to cultivate.
Action Steps
Here’s how you can begin building your sustainable habit toolkit:
Choose one habit you’d like to build or rebuild.
Attach a cue to it (i.e., right after coffee, you journal for 2 minutes).
Decide on a reward, even if it’s a check mark or gold star.
Identify a penalty if it helps (not guilt, but maybe skipping your Netflix show if the habit doesn’t happen).
Make it easy since the path of least resistance always wins.
Reflection Questions:
Contemplation Stage: What is one habit you’ve been thinking about starting? What’s been holding you back?
Preparation Stage: What tools or support systems do you need? How can you plan for obstacles or interruptions?
Action Stage: What is working well in your current routine? How will you know when this habit is “sticking”?
Ongoing Reflection: How is your habit going this week?What adjustments could you make to stay on track?How will you maintain this habit during a busy or stressful time?
Coming up next: Tying It All Together – Your Path to a Stronger, Healthier You. We’ll recap the 12 Simple Actions, discuss how to personalize your next steps, explore where you want to go or be in a year, and share some final reflections.
Catch Up on the Previous Posts in This Series:
Read More from this series on practical habits to help you feel stronger, healthier, and more vibrant for years to come: Your Personal Path to Longevity & Vitality
