With all the unhealthy foods and vices that have been making their rounds in society recently, a lot of people argue that it is actually quite difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Luckily, as always, science is here to help with that pesky endeavor. It may be tough to make good health choices and keep up with resolutions, but research suggests that we can somehow raise the success rates of our health-bettering attempts with a little assistance from science.
The first tip, according to an article from NPR, is to remind yourself that it's okay to not always meet your goals or to follow through with your plans. Well, as long as you do not give up on these altogether at the first sign of failure. Rather we must remember what things about ourselves make us proud of what we have accomplished instead of the bad decisions that we made.
Up next is to give yourself an incentive to change. Whether its to buy a new car or to fit into that dress you really like, positive incentives are a great way to motivate one's self in order to change for the better. Up next is to be more specific about your plans, so that you could follow along with them in easier fashion.
The next tip is that wants and "shoulds" should be combined into one. A 2014 study found that people who "were allowed gym-only access to iPods loaded with audiobooks they wanted to hear increased their gym attendance." This is a great example of combining wants (audiobooks) and "should" (exercising).
Finally, people should also remember to engineer their environments in their favor to give them the best shot at success with what it is they want. Studies show that cluttered kitchens encourage overeating and dining with someone who is overweight can lead us to eat more as well. Studies also show that marketing fruits and vegetables to kids in fun ways can improve their intake of these.
