What are you doing to look after your mental health? Are you prioritising it as much as your physical health? In this episode, Jen explains the role of the Serotonin, Dopamine and Cortisol hormones and how they impact our mood, memory, and movement throughout the day. You’ll learn the warning signs that tell you when you’re out of balance and what to feed your brain for good mental health.
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SHOWNOTES
I’m a shoes and laces kind of girl. I learned to tie them as a child practising over and over. Nowadays, of course, it is unconscious.
It’s the same way with driving a car. Remember all the things you consciously had to remember, but now it’s just habit? I was thinking about it this morning with my surfing.
I’ve really struggled to go from a beginner to an intermediate surfer. When I fall or miss a wave, I often talk negatively to myself, reinforcing my negative beliefs and mindset.
How we talk to ourselves – what we let ourselves hear over and over becomes imprinted in our minds. Negative or positive – and it gets reinforced through our beliefs and mindset.
To create positive habits that become second nature, we need to create that positive groove of repetition in our brains.
How do we make positive thoughts second nature?
When I’m surfing, I consciously break the habit by laughing when I fall off instead of getting frustrated. It’s easier said than done some days, and it’s important to find your way to break a negative habit.
A great place to start is the 3 Rs:
- Reminder. This is a trigger or cue that could be conscious behaviour. Before I head to the surf, I remind myself to count how many times I laugh in the session.
- Routine. This is the behaviour associated with the trigger. As I surface after falling off a wave, I laugh out loud. One of my mates who surfs does that. I love hearing her laugh out there. Doing something over and over can make the behaviour routine.
- Reward. The reward associated with behaviour also helps make a habit stick. The pleasurable release of dopamine in your brain can make you want to do it again.
Try it on; it’s working for me. Fair warning, it’s something you need to keep at over time.
It’s not 21 days to form a new habit. The main evidence-backed time frame for habit breaking comes from a 2009 study, suggesting it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days.
This study looked at 96 adults who wanted to change one specific behaviour. One person formed a new habit in just 18 days, but the other participants needed more time.
Healthy Life Hacks
So, the healthy life hacks I want to leave you with today are:
- What is one area you would like to create a positive habit with over the next few months
- Use the 3 R system to start the new positive habit creating behaviour
Did you enjoy the podcast today? Please let me know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Every month I draw one lucky reviewer to have a free one-hour consultation with me. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you’re tuning in from so that you always catch the next episode.
Are you looking for more great resources? Get a free copy of my Feed Your Body ebook here and be sure to explore my blog while you are there.
