Switch your DIET MINDSET FOR GOOD!

It can take just over two months to form a new habit. Here’s how to make lasting changes that stick

If, like most of us, you often promise to make big, sweeping lifestyle changes – eat less, exercise more, be kinder, work harder – then you’ll know how difficult it is to stick to new ways of doing things. But have you ever considered that, by being too ambitious, you’re simply setting yourself up for failure?

‘Trying to change too much, all at once, is a sure-fire way not to succeed,’ says behaviour change specialist Dr Heather McKee (drheathermckee. co.uk). ‘Research shows that it takes between 66 and 122 days to make a habit stick, but there’s more to it than that – simple habits can be changed more quickly, while complex ones can take longer.’ Here, Heather lets us in on the secrets to creating a new norm.

MAKE IT ENJOYABLE

Making habit changes shouldn’t be a punishment – if you have a reason to make a change, it should be because you want to do it. ‘Trying to establish a habit you don’t enjoy is a recipe for failure,’ says Heather. ‘Hate running on a treadmill? Choose something you like instead, such as going for long country walks. It’ll be less of a battle to make it a new habit as your brain will enjoy the reward.’

Bite-size habits