Happy Monday and welcome back to the blog! This post should have gone live last week, but I switched it up. I ended up having to go back into quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19. (Read my tips for staying healthy in quarantine if you are in the same situation.) I shared on Instagram a few weeks ago about my initial unhealthy quarantine. I was determined to stay healthy this time. Even though I didn’t spiral into unhealthy habits, I still lost some of my normal habits.

I have a whole list of new habits I want to develop, but right now, I am just trying to stay consistent with going to the gym. My workout routine got thrown off during quarantine, and it felt like 1 million things were thrown at me once things started to go back to normal. I was working later in the day to get it all done, and I would skip the gym. I began to track my days when I noticed a plateau in my results and found I was only going to the gym 3 times a week instead of 5-6 days like normal. If I am not getting enough exercise, it will negatively impact my day to day life.

Now that is my current goal, but it could be something different for you. Have you been watching too much TV, sleeping too late, or filling up on snacks all day? Whatever it may be, here are 4 tips for developing healthy habits after quarantine.

1. Focus on the basics

I consider the core habits exercise, proper nutrition, hydration, and sleep. Without these, you will lack energy and focus. As a result, you will not be able to accomplish anything else. Once you develop these healthy habits, it will be a domino effect–you will see improvements in other areas of your life as well.

2. Start Small

You will hear me say this 100 times. Do not take on too much at once. This is hard for me. I am a to-do list kind of girl–I have about 10 different lists going on at all times. I also love goals. Every morning, I start out writing my goals in a journal so I can focus on them. I catch myself getting overwhelmed by all of this every once in a while. When this feeling starts to creep in, I take a step back and see what my priority is, and I start there. Coming out of quarantine can be exciting, and you will want to start up right back where you were, but that will overwhelm you. Pick ONE new habit, break it down, and go all in. By breaking it down, you will find it more manageable and prevent overwhelm.

3. Track it

Tracking is such a useful tool. It is actually one of the primary tools I use with my clients. If you track your behavior, you can find patterns and cues preventing you from reaching your goals. It also helps to monitor your progress. When you can visually see that you are making progress, you are more likely to keep going. I’m sure you have see all the fancy habit trackers on Pinterest, but I find these overwhelming since they usually include more than one habit. I recommend starting a note on your phone and just checking off the days you complete your selected healthy habit.

4. Do your best and give yourself grace

There will probably be days you do not accomplish your goal or complete your habit, and that is okay. We are all human with busy schedules. There are so many times where I have to take a step back and evaluate if I am completing these healthy habits regularly. Give yourself some grace, wake up tomorrow, and start again. I promise, if you keep trying, you will reach your goal.

Xoxo,

Jessica