Habits are hard to break once they are created, however with a focus and intentional actions, habits will change. My husband took me on a two-week vacation before my cancer treatments, and we talked a great deal about habits. One thing he is trying to get us both to do is to make it a habit to eat healthy, exercise, and take care of our mental health wellness. I will let you know how we are being intentional!

We know our lives are based on schedules and routines. If we pay attention to what we do daily, we can identify specifics about what we are in the habit of doing. We have our medications in the bathroom, so part of our morning routine in getting ready includes taking medication after brushing our teeth.

Placing things in areas we can easily see and access helps keep this habit in place. Zeke has his exercise stuff in the closet ready to go, so when he gets home, it is the first thing he does. I do mine when I first get up in the morning. However, I will have to adjust as doctor appointments are scheduled. He is sticking to his routine! I admit I am having a hard time getting into a routine. If you are intentional, it can be done.

Sea of habits, not shore how to begin?

Our vacation took us to the beaches and sunshine. Zeke stayed on his routine and implementation of walking daily. Even though we walked miles during the day, he remained on his routine. A habit is forming!

We packed fruits in the car as snacks and lots of water. We did our very best to continue the goal of healthy eating. It is a challenge when vacationing, but we did great! I have to say my love for ice cream is always my downfall. I still enjoyed it on our trip! As you can see, I am the weaker link!

Watching the waves of the ocean crash into the shore, I paused to remind myself of the importance of being intentional. My mind was cluttered with many thoughts, anticipating treatments and the noise of the world. No excuses! Decide want you want to do and work to make it happen.

Steps to be intentional in creating new habits

First, I needed to list all of the things I do daily. Then I can look at each to determine if it is a good habit or a bad habit. An example: Eating ice cream daily before going to bed. Bad or good 🤷‍♀️ I have always said I was on the Titanic diet. Everyone on the Titanic wished they would have eaten that dessert first! I love my sweets!

Now I can identify where I can place my exercise habit into my routine. Then I can look at how to replace the sweets with healthy treats. Yogurt and fruit seem to be the best match.

Finally, I can write out my daily routine—place items in areas to make visual cues and stack things together to improve my overall well-being. When I walk, I will listen to Podcasts. These two items fit and stack nicely together.

I will let you know how I am improving! It helps to be accountable as well!

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