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what are your anchor habits?

anchor habits


If we want to build new habits around our health, it is often helpful to figure out what our anchor habits are first, and build from there.  B.J. Fogg likes to refer to anchor habits as those things that we already do every day without thinking about them--brushing our teeth, making our coffee, eating our breakfast.  If you want to build a new habit, tie it around one of those things.  For example, "While I brush my teeth I will do 20 squats," or "While my coffee is brewing I will do some stretches in the kitchen." 

That's a great ways to implement something new, but I look at anchor habits in a way that's a little closer to The One Thing philosophy touted by Gary Keller.

He asks the question, "What's the One Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?" 

I've always had a hard time wrapping my head around this concept and narrowing it down to just one thing. I tend to have "One Things" for lots of different areas of my life. Exercising helps my body feel better, meditating keeps my mind calm, reading and writing fuel my creative side, and hanging out with my husband after dinner keeps our relationship strong.

To me, these things are my anchor habits.  They are the things that keep me anchored and feeling like I'm in control.  If I miss a day or go too long without doing them I feel a small case of the "screw its" sneaking up on me and I have to catch myself before the downward spiral and negative self talk follow.

For a lot of people, morning exercise is their first anchor.  Walking or running first thing in the morning gets your blood pumping, your brain working, and exposes your eyes to sunlight, resetting your circadian clock for the day.  If I don't go out in the morning the rest of my day just doesn't go as well.  I've been nursing an injury the last few months and haven't been able to run much.  In the past, if I couldn't run I wouldn't even bother going, but this year I am embracing my morning walks.  I have to admit that there's a little bit of ego involved--I don't want anyone to see me walking when I identify so strongly as a runner--but instead of wallowing in the self pity I'm truly enjoying my walks and reminding myself that I'm building a stronger and healthier body by listening to and honoring it.

Prayer or meditation is another anchor habit that sets the stage for the day.  It could be a gratitude practice, a breathing meditation, a chat with God, or whatever keeps you spiritually connected to the universe and feeds your soul. I personally like to do this first thing in the morning while I'm walking, and again in the afternoon as part of my work to home transition.

The third anchor habit that I've found helps people stay grounded is journaling.  It can be as simple as keeping a one-sentence journal.  I do this every day because I love to look back at it and see what we were doing on that day over the last few years (like my own personal Facebook memories).  You can also keep a gratitude journal.  You've probably seen all the research about how beneficial that is for our mental health already.  The most beneficial to me, although admittedly the most time intensive, is writing morning pages.  I spend about a half an hour in the morning writing three pages about whatever comes into my head.  If there is something really bothering me it usually takes about a page and a half before the magic begins and my mind starts to sort things out.  You could do this in a Word document, but there is something truly amazing about putting pen to paper and letting the thoughts flow.  I believe (and I think there's actually some research to support my hypothesis) that there's a direct connection between your brain and your writing hand.

Your anchor habit might be as simple as making sure you are drinking a certain amount of water.  For some people, that one healthy habit helps all the others fall into place.  For other people, taking the time for meal planning keeps them on track for the week.

Whatever your anchor habits, honor them and make them a priority.  When you are in control and acting with purpose and intention, all else becomes a little bit easier.  And that's a good thing.








If you'd like to talk to me more about creating a nutrition plan that works for you, I've got you!  I'm a certified Nutrition Coach who will create a simple, customized meal plan for you and coach you through how to implement it into your busy life.  We also talk about all the pitfalls that make it hard, and help you make it the anchor that keeps you healthy, energized, and sane through the whirlwind of your everyday life.

I'd love to talk to you about the program, so please book a free consultation with me by clicking the Calendly button. I look forward to talking to you!


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