mind Change Agent
Women's Health South Africa|January - February 2023
Healthy patterns are hard to form, not-so-good ones are hard to break. Right? Wrong - if you know the secrets to becoming a true creature of habit. "hastily turns page.*
MEGHAN RABBITT
mind Change Agent

MOST OF US TRY TO FORM NEW HEALTHY HABITS RIGHT ABOUT...NOW.

You know that New Year, New You vibe, the voice inside you whispering to get stronger, happier, [fill in your brand of badass here]. But let's admit it: This time around, we're all craving change in a big, big way. If you need a sign to rev you up, how's this? No matter your goal, you're living in ideal conditions for crushing a fresh routine.

Not only does the classic January restart act as a zap of good juju to fuel your best intentions, but pandemic life also gave you an edge, says Dr Wendy Wood, a professor of psychology and business and author of Good Habits, Bad Habits. (A silver lining to the trauma we endured!) "We got used to spending time at home, which gave us control over our environment - one of the keys to sticking to a habit," she says.

Another amazing perk: When you make wellness behaviours second nature, you're left with energy to power through other tough stuff. "Using your conscious mind drains your brain, but habits hum along on barely any bandwidth," says Dr Wood. Want to sweat before you open your laptop? Lock in an acne-busting skincare routine? On these pages you'll find the latest science on making actions effortlessly automatic - your body and mind will be better for it.

1 Ignite Your Motivation

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