Stress, depression and anxiety are unfortunate aspects of reality that we can seldom shy away from. What makes things worse is our constant need to keep pushing ourselves. At work, home, or in social life, there are always endless responsibilities, dates, deadlines, tasks, and chores which can get chaotic. In struggling to achieve some balance, we get caught up in the chaos and our mental health suffers drastically. Now there is endless advice to improve emotional well-being, but the long-drawn process of habit change can be overwhelming to the point of us giving up. In the pursuit of better mental health, grand resolutions and drastic changes often fall short. The art of change for mental well-being lies in keeping things small. This is the essence of atomic habits, a new concept to learn how to change in small steps for better mental health.
The Origin of Atomic Habits
The concept of introducing small changes in life for mental health was made famous by the bestselling book “Atomic Habits” by motivational speaker James Clear. Atomic Habits centers around proven ideas researched from biology, psychology, and neuroscience. It is an easy, but comprehensive guide to breaking down bad habits and permanently replacing them with good ones.
Since the popularity of his book, the concept of atomic habits has evolved into an evidence based psychological trend proving how we can easily influence our mental health. According to studies, aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease depression and anxiety. A healthy diet or treating insomnia can reduce depression. Cognitive restructuring, or changing how you think is like therapy that can help up to 80% of people
Proven Mental Health Benefits of Atomic Habits
Atomic habits can be described as little building blocks of personal growth and well-being. Atomic habits are small, incremental changes that compound over time, leading to significant transformations. Some of the incredible benefits of atomic habits include:
- Consistency: Atomic habits encourage regular practice, fostering consistency in behavior and routine.
- Sustainability: Because they aren’t long drawn-out tasks, atomic habits are easily managed especially over the long term
- Gradual Progress: Small habit changes lead to gradual improvement, allowing individuals to track their progress and celebrate small victories.
- They Encourage Resilience: The little victories achieved daily energize you to want to keep doing more.
- They Build Momentum: By starting small, atomic habits build momentum over time, making it easier to tackle more significant challenges.
- Positive Reinforcement: Successfully practicing atomic habits provides a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing positive behaviors and boosting motivation.
How to Break Bad Habits Using Evidence-Based Strategies
Breaking a habit might appear difficult, but using the correct method to do so will help you get rid of them. The main point to remember is how you cannot eliminate a habit due to the reward it brings, but you can replace them and the reward earned might make you feel so much better. Here’s what to do when you want to break a bad habit.
- Find a replacement: You need to identify what you’re dealing with and have a set plan in mind that includes a replacement
- Eliminate the triggers: Cut out triggers that encourage you to perform the bad habits, for example, if you like drinking, just avoid the bar. Switch off your phone if you’re habituated in browsing before sleeping. Stop buying sugary foods if you’re hooked on cookies and pastries. If you change the environment, you change your outcome.
- Get support: Find someone, a friend or family member, if necessary, who is trying a similar exercise. Witnessing each other’s activity of change makes the process worthwhile rather than go it alone. Hold each other accountable when faltering and celebrate little victories together.
- Visualize success: Imagine yourself crushing your bad habits, such as throwing away a pack of cigarettes, or pouring that glass of alcohol down a sink.
- Question negativity: It becomes easy to judge yourself when not achieving something, avoid giving in to your inner critic and use words that overcome criticism.
- Be yourself: bad habits are acquired over time, so simple become the old “You.” Bad habits do not mean changing yourself, it means returning to who you were before. You just need to return to being healthy
12 Atomic Habits to Improve Mental Health Every Day
Developing atomic habits does not necessarily mean following a fixed trend that dictates what or how you need to act to achieve atomic habit change. Recognizing all your emotions, thought processes, behavior, and activity that trigger stress or anxiety is key to dealing with them. The process then involves small acts of positive behavior to replace related negative behavior or habits. You could also create mindful and positive activity of your own that makes you feel good and motivated enough to eliminate or neutralize the bad habits in life. Herea are some proven strategies that reflect atomic habit change.
1. Daily Aerobic Exercise to Reduce Anxiety and Depression
Exercising daily has been found to reduce sadness, and anxiety symptoms in 75% of individuals. Moreover, low intensity and aerobics has also been found to have a positive effect on the hippocampus especially in those with dementia.
2. Replace Unhealthy Food Choices with Nutritious Alternatives
Doing away with one bad dietary choice and replacing it with something nutritious and healthier is the best way to change your bad habits in daily nutrition. Eating a more nutritious diet has been found to reduce the risk of depression.
3. One-Sentence Gratitude Journaling for Emotional Balance
Spend a few minutes each day jotting down things you’re grateful for. Gratitude journaling fosters a positive outlook and reduces stress. In fact, journaling as part of atomic habits does not mean writing an entire page of content. All you need to do is write down one sentence that reflects what you are grateful for in the day.
4. Mindful Breathing to Calm the Mind and Body
Spend just a few minutes daily focusing on your breathing. Mindful breathing helps calm the mind and alleviate anxiety.
5. Mindful Eating to Reduce Stress and Emotional Eating
Mindful eating involves paying attention to the food you eat in detail. Reflect on how the food got on your table, savor each flavor, and sensation with every bite. This habit promotes a healthy relationship with food and reduces emotional eating. Consider a vitamin supplement as prescribed by a health professional that could also improve your mental health.
6. One-Minute Meditation to Reset Mental Clutter
Incorporating meditation in atomic habits does not involve trying to meditate for long periods or adopt some exotic complex meditative practice. It could be just taking time off for even 5 minutes a day reflecting on every aspect of life or just relaxing yourself, focusing on your environment and allowing thoughts good or bad pass through your mind. You could do a one-minute meditation each day. Just Google it. There are hundreds of one-minute meditations.
7. Daily Walks and Nature Exposure to Lower Cortisol
During your breaks from work you could try going for a walk or stretching instead of looking at your phone. You could set a daily goal for how many steps you’ll get to encourage you to walk a little bit more each day. According to studies, nature decreases cortisol and stress.
8. Strengthen Social Connections for Emotional Support
Strong relationships are the biggest indicator of happiness. Forge new relationships or strengthen your existing ones. Send little text or emails to people you care about. Have lunch with a colleague, or check up on someone who might be ill.
9. Daily Positive Affirmations for Self-Confidence
Start your day with affirmations that promote self-love, confidence, and resilience. Repeat them regularly to reinforce positive beliefs.
10. Limit Screen Time to Reduce Mental Overload
Set boundaries around screen time to reduce the risk of media overload and social media stressors. Use this time instead for activities that promote relaxation and connection. Limit exposure to screens in the hour before bed to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia.
11. Stay Hydrated to Improve Cognitive Function
Keep a water bottle nearby as a visual cue to stay hydrated throughout the day. Proper hydration supports cognitive function and overall well-being.
12. Build a Calming Night Routine for Better Sleep
Establish a calming bedtime routine to signal to your body that it’s time to wind down. This could include reading, gentle stretching, or practicing relaxation techniques.
Incorporating these atomic habits into your daily routine can lead to significant improvements in your mental health over time. Remember, the key is consistency and patience. Start small, stay committed, and watch as these tiny habits compound to create a happier and healthier you.
