3 positive habits to focus on this summer

Did you know that 40% of your daily actions are not conscious decisions but habits? 

Your brain turns daily actions and behaviours into habits to expend the least amount of energy. This, in turn, frees up brain power for more significant challenges and decision making. Essentially, a habit is the brain’s way of increasing efficiency, and you can use this cognitive wiring to your advantage by actively forming positive habits. 

In our last blog, we discussed the 5-step process to building exercise habits that stick (check the full article here if you haven’t already read it). Now it’s time to think about some other positive habits you want to focus on. Here are some suggestions for inspiration. 

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1. Spending more time outside  

For professional women, spending the majority of the day inside is inevitable. Especially if working from home has reduced the number of commutes to the office.  

It’s well-researched though that being outside has many benefits, including decreasing stress and anxiety levels, boosting mood and lowering blood pressure. So spending more time outdoors is a beneficial healthy habit during summer months. 

Habit hack: If you’re strapped for time, try eating breakfast in the garden, lunch in the park or going for a walk during a phone call to help you squeeze in 10-15 minutes of outside time. 
 

2. Reading more 

When you’re exhausted after a day of work, reading can feel like the last thing you want to make time for. However, it is a powerful way to relax as it distracts your mind from work anxieties and allows your brain to change gears. 

Habit hack: If you don’t have time to read the whole book, there are apps which summarise books in 15 minutes or less (such as Blinkist and QuickRead), or you could learn the art of speed reading. Another option is to download audiobooks for your commute. 
 

3. Less screen time 

It goes without saying that, as professionals, it’s hard to avoid the screen during the working day. Yet even though the negative effects of blue light on sleep is well known, it is easy to continue reaching for a phone or tablet in the evening, almost without thinking. 

Habit hack: Be intentional about taking hourly mini breaks from the screen during the day whenever you can. Set your phone alarm to remind you if necessary. This might only need to be enough time to walk over to a window to ‘stretch’ your eyes, or turn away from your PC while taking a call.

At home, you can also set your devices to a lower light setting – some phones have a comfort setting that reduces the blue light output. Try using blue light blocker glasses when working late or reading from a screen in the evening. Or better still, replace TV viewing with a summer evening walk.
 

Start forming positive habits now 

Once a habit is ingrained, it becomes easy, automatic and can last a lifetime. Habits also help structure a hectic life and enable you to be intentional about achieving more without needing extra energy. 

Are you struggling to find the bandwidth to build healthy habits? At Consider it Done, our team of experienced personal assistants can remove background noise and conflicts on your time to give you breathing space. Contact us to find out more.