Habits For Health

Goal setting can provide direction, increase motivation, and better your chances of success. Setting and achieving health goals can be challenging though, especially if you’re unsure where to start or have tried and failed in the past. Our Habits For Health programme on setting goals for your health can help you with this. 

Why does goal setting help? 

• Goal setting provides focus: Clearly defined goals help you understand what you want to achieve and how to get there. 
• Goal setting increases motivation: Goals give you something to work towards, keeping you motivated and engaged. 
• Goal setting helps you track progress: Setting goals allows you to track your progress and make adjustments as needed. 

In our goal setting session, we make setting and achieving goals easy and achievable by: 

• Identifying what is important to you, so you can understand your values and priorities and set meaningful goals
• Understanding physical and emotional needs so you can understand what you need to aim for in your health journey.  
• We’ll also talk about breaking long term goals into small, achievable and sustainable steps, so you can start with small changes that can lead to bigger health improvements over time. 

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below are some suggestions of tiny habits you might like to try that can help you with setting goals and achieving them. 

• Tiny Habit 1: Start with one small change. Focus on making one small change at a time, such as drinking an extra glass of water each day or walking for 10 minutes after lunch. 
• Tiny Habit 2: Use a habit tracker. Keep a simple habit tracker to monitor your daily actions and stay accountable to your goals. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Reflect on your progress weekly.  Spend a few minutes each week reflecting on your progress and celebrating your successes, no matter how small. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Find an accountability partner.  Share your goals with a friend or family member who can support and encourage you along the way.

Getting enough quality sleep is crucial for overall health, but many people struggle to achieve it. Sleep is essential for physical health, emotional wellbeing and brain function. It affects everything from mood and energy levels to immune function and disease prevention. 

Why does sleep matter?

• Sleep is important for our physical health: During sleep, your body works to repair and regenerate tissues, build bone and muscle, and strengthen the immune system. Consistent, quality sleep can help reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. 
• Sleep is important for our emotional wellbeing: Getting good sleep helps regulate mood and reduce stress. Poor sleep is linked to increased risk of mental health issues like depression and anxiety. 
• Sleep is important for our brain function: Sleep is vital for brain health. It enhances memory, problem solving skills, and creativity. Lack of sleep can impair attention, alertness, and judgment. 

Despite the importance of sleep, many people struggle with getting enough due to various factors such as lifestyle, work demands, stress, and environmental conditions. However, there are practical steps you can take to improve your sleep habits. 

In our sleep session, we make getting better sleep easy and achievable by: 

• Understanding the factors that affect sleep quality: Learn about the impact of diet, exercise, stress, and environment on your sleep. 
• Creating a sleep friendly environment: Discover how to optimise your bedroom for better sleep, including tips on lighting, temperature and noise control. 
• Developing a relaxing bedtime routine: Establish pre-sleep rituals that help signal to your body that it’s time to wind down, promoting a smoother transition to sleep. 
• Learning tools so you can break long term sleep goals down into small, achievable and sustainable steps: Implement small changes that can make a big difference in your sleep quality over time. 

Tiny Habit Suggestions 

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below we have made some suggestions you may like to try.

• Tiny Habit 1: Establish a consistent sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps regulate your body’s internal clock and can improve the quality of your sleep. 
• Tiny Habit 2: Create a relaxing pre-sleep routine. Spend the 30 minutes before bed doing a calming activity like reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Limit screen time before bed. Avoid screens (phones, tablets, computers and TV) for at least an hour before bed to reduce exposure to blue light, which can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Optimize your sleep environment. Make your bedroom a sleep haven by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet. Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs or a white noise machine if needed. 
• Tiny Habit 5: Be mindful of caffeine and alcohol Intake. Limit caffeine consumption in the afternoon and evening, and be cautious with alcohol, as it can disrupt sleep patterns. 

Regular physical activity is important for maintaining good health, yet many people find it challenging to get enough movement into their daily lives. Movement is essential for physical fitness, mental health, and overall wellbeing. It helps to prevent chronic diseases, helps us manage our weight, and improves mood and energy levels.

Why does movement matter?

• Movement helps our physical health: Regular movement strengthens the heart, muscles and bones. It helps to control weight, reduce blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels. Physical activity can also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. 
• Movement helps our mental health: Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. It can help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. Regular physical activity can also improve sleep quality and boost overall mental wellbeing. 
• Movement helps our brain function: Movement enhances brain function by increasing blood flow to the brain, which can improve memory, attention and problem-solving skills. It is also linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia. 

Despite its importance, many people struggle to stay active due to busy schedules, lack of motivation, or not knowing where to start. However, there are simple steps you can take to make movement a regular part of your life. 

In our movement session, we make staying active easy and achievable by considering the following: 

• Understanding the benefits of physical activity: Learn about the wide ranging benefits of regular movement for your body and mind. 
• Incorporating movement into daily life: Learn practical ways to integrate more movement into your routine, even on busy days. 
• Finding activities you enjoy: Discover different types of physical activities and find what you enjoy most, whether it’s walking, dancing, swimming or playing a sport. 
• Setting realistic goals: Set achievable and sustainable movement goals that fit your lifestyle and fitness level. 
• Learning tools for breaking long term movement goals into small, achievable and sustainable steps: Implement small changes that can gradually increase your physical activity over time. 

Tiny Habit Suggestions

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below we have made some suggestions you may like to try.

• Tiny Habit 1: Take short activity breaks. Take a 5 minute break every hour to stand up, stretch or walk around. These small breaks can add up and make a big difference in your overall activity level. 
• Tiny Habit 2: Use active transportation. Whenever possible, walk or bike instead of driving. Park further away from your destination or get off public transport a stop early to add more steps to your day. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Incorporate movement into routine activities. Do simple exercises like squats, lunges or calf raises while doing routine tasks such as brushing your teeth or cooking. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Schedule regular movement time. Set a specific time each day for physical activity, whether it’s a morning walk, a lunchtime workout or an evening stretch session. 
• Tiny Habit 5: Make movement social. Invite friends or family to join you in physical activities. Group workouts, walking clubs or dance classes can make movement more enjoyable and keep you motivated.

Emotional wellbeing is a crucial part of overall health, impacting how we think, feel and act. It influences how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Despite its importance, many people struggle with maintaining their emotional health due to various stressors and life challenges. 

Why does emotional wellbeing matter?

• Mental Health: Good emotional health helps prevent mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. It promotes resilience, enabling you to bounce back from setbacks and cope with life's challenges. 
• Physical Health: Emotional wellbeing is closely linked to physical health. Chronic stress and negative emotions can weaken the immune system, increase blood pressure and contribute to other health problems. 
• Relationships: Emotional health impacts the quality of your relationships. It allows you to communicate effectively, empathize with others, and manage conflicts in a healthy way. 

In our emotional wellbeing session, we make maintaining emotional health easy and achievable by: 

• Understanding stress: Learn about how stressors can add up and how to manage them. 
• Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques: Discover techniques to stay present and reduce stress. 
• Developing healthy coping strategies: Learn how to cope with stress and adversity in healthy ways. 
• Learning tools for breaking long term emotional health goals down into small, achievable and sustainable steps: Implement small changes to gradually improve your emotional wellbeing. 

Tiny Habits Suggestion

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below we have made some suggestions you may like to try.

• Tiny Habit 1: Daily gratitude practice. Spend a few minutes each day writing down three things you are grateful for. This practice can shift your focus to the positive aspects of your life. 
• Tiny Habit 2: Breathing exercises. Take a few deep breaths whenever you feel stressed. Deep breathing can help calm your mind and reduce stress levels. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Regular check-ins. Set aside time each day to check in with yourself emotionally. Ask yourself how you’re feeling and what you need. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Limit negative media consumption. Reduce exposure to negative news and social media. Instead, engage in activities that uplift your mood. 
• Tiny Habit 5: Engage in a creative activity. Spend a few minutes each day on a creative activity you enjoy, such as drawing, writing or playing music.

Knowing what to eat can feel confusing with lots of mixed information out there! You may also feel that you know what to eat but find it hard to find the time or motivation to do so. Food has such a large impact on our health and even making a few small changes can have great effects on your health. 

Why does healthy eating matter?

• It impacts our physical health: Good nutrition helps prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. It supports overall health, providing the energy and nutrients your body needs. 
• It affects our mental health: Healthy eating can improve mood and mental clarity. Nutrient-rich foods support brain function and emotional wellbeing. 
• Longevity: A balanced diet contributes to a longer, healthier life by promoting physical and mental health. 

In our eating session, we make healthy eating easy and achievable by: 

• Showing you how to simplify healthy eating: Learn simple strategies to make healthy food choices. 
• Understanding the food environment: Understand how the food industry influences your eating habits and how to navigate the modern food environment. 
• Being mindful of added sugar: Learn to identify and reduce added sugars in your diet. 
• Considering alcohol consumption: Understand the impact of alcohol on your health and how to manage it. 
• Learning tools for breaking long-term eating goals into small, achievable and sustainable steps: Implement small changes that can lead to healthier eating habits over time. 

Tiny Habit Suggestions 

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below we have made some suggestions you may like to try.

• Tiny Habit 1: Healthy food swaps. Even just 1 or 2 everyday swaps can really make a difference and go a long way to making each day healthier – but the more you make, the better!  
• Tiny Habit 2: Add an extra fruit or veg to each meal. Incorporating an additional fruit or vegetable into each meal can boost your nutrient intake and improve your overall health. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Swap alcohol for a healthier alternative. Swap alcohol for a non-alcoholic beverage like sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice to increase your drink-free days. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Plan your meals. Spend a few minutes each week planning your meals to ensure you have healthy options available. 
• Tiny Habit 5: Mindful eating. Take the time to eat slowly and savor your food. This can help with digestion and prevent overeating. 

Social connections are vital for emotional and physical health. Strong relationships can help reduce stress, improve mental health and increase longevity. However, building and maintaining these connections can be challenging in our busy lives. 

Why does social connection matter? 

• Social connection affects our mental health: Strong social ties are linked to lower rates of anxiety and depression. They provide emotional support, which can help buffer against stress. 
• Social connection affects our physical health: Social connections can improve physical health by promoting healthy behaviors and providing support during tough times. It can also boost immune function and decrease the risk of chronic diseases. 
• Longevity: Studies have shown that people with strong social connections live longer, healthier lives. 

Building and maintaining relationships is essential for a healthy and fulfilling life. Our social connection session helps make this easy and achievable by focusing on several key areas:

• Identifying social networks: Map out your existing social networks to see where you can strengthen connections and build new ones. 
• Creating opportunities for connection: Find ways to meet new people and strengthen existing relationships. 
• Working with healthcare professionals: Discover how to best collaborate with healthcare professionals to support your health and wellbeing. 
• Community connector training: Learn how to become a community connector, helping others build social connections and fostering a supportive community. 
• Learning tools for breaking long term social goals into small, achievable and sustainable steps: Implement small changes that can lead to more meaningful connections over time. 

Tiny Habits 

Tiny habits are a behaviour change that focus on creating small, easy-to-implement habits that can lead to significant long-term changes in behaviour. Below we have made some suggestions you may like to try.

• Tiny Habit 1: Reach out to one person. Each day send a message or call a friend or family member each day to stay connected. 
• Tiny Habit 2: Join a group or club. Participate in a group activity that interests you, such as a book club, sports team or hobby group. 
• Tiny Habit 3: Volunteer in your community. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and contribute to your community. 
• Tiny Habit 4: Practice active listening. When talking to others, practice active listening by paying full attention and responding thoughtfully. 
• Tiny Habit 5: Plan regular social activities. Schedule regular get-togethers with friends or family, such as weekly dinners or monthly outings.