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If you are trying to establish new daily habits without any luck, organization may be the missing link.
Your home influences your daily habits.
As humans, we are easily influenced by our environment. The way our homes are organized can influence the choices we make throughout the day. Including what we wear, what we eat, how often we eat, when (and if) we exercise.
Our daily habits are influenced by what we see.
“A small change in what you see can lead to a big shift in what you do.” James Clear
Our habits are formed by what we see every day. We are so sensitive to visual cues that we don’t even realize habits have been formed:
- Grabbing a Dr. Pepper every morning is easy because it’s front and center when you open the refrigerator.
- Sitting down to watch hours of television is habitual because the remote control is always within reach and your favorite chair is in the perfect spot to watch your shows.
- Checking your phone as you roll out of bed is the obvious thing to do because it’s right next to you and you heard 3 notifications even before you opened your eyes.
- Cooking convenient, packaged food is routine because your pantry is stocked with it.
We establish certain habits, like eating and drinking unhealthy things, because we have designed our environment to encourage those habits.
Tiny tweaks create big changes.
You do not need to completely reorganize your home or overhaul your kitchen. You can create positive shifts in your daily habits by making simple, tiny tweaks to your home organization.
Nutrition habits
If we see it, we eat it. I can mindlessly munch on nuts every time I go into the pantry. Every.time. Why do I do that?
Because they are at eye-level and it has become an easy habit. To stop this repeated munching, I moved the almonds and pistachios above my head. Now, I don’t have the visual cue to snack on them because I don’t really see them. I have interrupted that habit pattern.
Here are a few organizing tips to switch up a your nutrition habits:
- Move your vitamins from the pantry to the countertop. You’ll be more likely to remember to take your vitamins if you can see them. If you’re feeling ambitious, put them in a vitamin organizer.
- In the pantry, place healthier snack foods at eye-level. We tend to grab what we notice first.
- Put sodas and beer in the back of the refrigerator so they are not quite as easy to reach.
- Fill up bottles of water and put them wherever you spend most of your day (kitchen, home office, living room…)
Exercise habits
Making small organizing tweaks can gradually get you into a good daily habit of movement and exercise. If you don’t love exercising, try pairing it with something you do love – Take your favorite book to the gym so you can read as you sit on the exercise bike. Place a television in front of the treadmill so you can watch your favorite show while you walk.
There are a few other tiny adjustments you can make:
- The night before, lay out your workout shoes and clothes as a visual reminder to go to the gym.
- Make sure your workout clothes and equipment look nice so that you are excited to use them. Throw out any “comfy”, worn out, hole-y clothes.
- Post gym hours and class schedules on your refrigerator or another spot you see every day.
- A sticky note reminder on your bathroom mirror is also a good visual cue: “Today, I workout! No excuses.”
Sleep Habits
When it comes to good sleep habits and organizing, less is more. Less stuff equals more sleep. If you chronically struggle to fall asleep, designate your bedroom as a sleep only zone. Don’t read, work or fold laundry in your bedroom. Get your body used to the idea that once you walk into your bedroom, at the end of the night, it’s time to go to sleep.
You can also create good sleep habits by doing these things:
- Remove as many distractions as possible: devices, televisions and clutter.
- Turn lights down low in your home at least 30 minutes before you plan to fall asleep.
- Leave your phone in another room before heading into your bedroom.
- Place a lavender or jasmine scented oil diffuser next to your bed.
Reorganizing your home in a way that encourages new daily habits is a simple way to create momentum in the right direction.
Surround yourself with positive examples.
In addition to reorganizing your home, you can reorganize your “people”. Who are you hanging out with? Do the people you see most behave in a way that encourages positive behavior in you?
Get inspired to create good daily habits by surrounding yourself with people you admire. The Loving Your Home Club is filled with those kinds of people. Join us if you are ready to make positive change.
If you are ready to start Loving Your Home, join the Club!