I wrote an article not too long ago about What Not to Do When Starting a Fitness Routine. Today’s piece is about 3 principles, that all happen to start with the letter S, to keep in mind when setting out on implementing a wellness regimen.
The 3 S’s for Wellness Adherence
Simple
Keep it simple, stupid. Simple systems can help things to run efficiently and dependably. When systems are convoluted and complicated there’s more room for error or barriers to get the task completed.
I think the perfect way to exemplify this principle is with your workouts. When it comes to your exercise regimen, I firmly believe that it does not need to be elaborate and have a multi step prerequisite routine before you can even get to the gym. You don’t need a preworkout or a pre workout snack to give you energy to get a workout done. You don’t need charged headphones and the perfect playlist. Sometimes, you just need to get moving.
Sidenote: I do, however, believe you should warm up before you workout. Our muscles are like rubber bands. When a rubber band is cold it is more likely and prone to snapping. When rubber bands are warmed up they are more elastic. Therefore, make sure you don’t forgo your warmup.
Another example, I loved to keep my nutrition simple by using meal kits like Home Chef and Hello Fresh. That way my meals were pre-portioned and full of variety.
The less decisions you have to make, the less steps you have to take, the more likely you’ll be to stick to your habit.
Stack
Habit stacking is when you pair a habit you already have with another habit. This is especially useful when you’re implementing a new habit.
For instance, keeping your vitamins and supplements near your coffee every morning so you remember to take them. You know you’ll have your coffee, therefore by putting your supplements by your coffee machine it triggers a reminder for you to take your vitamins that you may have otherwise forgotten about.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, wrote an article about the The 5 Triggers That Make New Habits Stick and in that article he gave another good coffee habit trigger. The example James used was if you’re looking to start a meditation practice, start by practicing meditating while your coffee is brewing.
When you couple an activity you know you’ll do with a habit you’re looking to do regularly you’ll increase your likelihood of forming that habit to become automatic as well.
Savor
I did the free Yale Science of Well-Being course and one of the keys to happiness the course taught was to savor activities and be fully in the moment. To savor means to enjoy completely. When you have something that you enjoy completely you’re more likely to do the activity.
When it comes to wellness, while there may be more efficient and effective ways to be well, it’s far more important you stick with a wellness habits to eventually see results. Consistency wins in wellness.
Alternatively, you can begin with something you thoroughly enjoy and then once the habit is down, advance your activity or try something else to further your progress. I was listening to a Jillian Michaels podcast and she was telling a story of a woman from a panel who wouldn’t let herself pursue her interest in dancing because it didn’t seem like an appropriate wellness task to make time for in her busy schedule. And Jillian went on to say that she noticed when she travels how Americans have become so Type A about optimizing our free time. Many of us rarely allow ourselves to do something simply because we enjoy it. We attach rules, restrictions, and limitations to how we’re allowed to spend our time, especially if there’s a better way we could be spending our time. The point is: if you hate running, you don’t have to run. If you love to dance, take dance classes. Wellness can be optimized, but it can – and should – be enjoyed.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, when we’re seeking to improve our wellness we’re seeking to achieve vitality. Vitality means to be full of life. Vitality is being strong, active, and energized.
Vitality most easily comes from consistent enjoyment and efficiency of healthy habits. Enjoyment in savoring the tasks that keep us well. Efficient by automating our healthy habits and stacking habits together when we can. Wellness can be simple as long as it is consistent because what we do a majority of the time is what compounds and becomes our results.