This Years Pick by

Spirituality &

Health Magazine

Annual Retreat Guide
 

The Spirited Woman's Top Picks For 2013 

Steps To Change A Habit:

1. Quick Hits. Action precedes motivation. When you want to create change, pick an easy habit that can be adapted quickly to give you a feeling of success and motivate you to try more difficult changes. These are low risk, low impact, no brainers that build momentum.
2. Ease Into Change. Choose no more than 1-2 new behaviors per month. One of the most common forms of self sabotage is the "all or nothing." When you set up a plan to change too many things at once and stumble in the process, it is easy to just give up on the whole thing.
3. Evolution. Changing habits is an evolution over time. Expect that. Be forgiving and gentle with yourself along the way and practice the skill is "rebound"-getting back on track and continuing the journey.

To show you how these steps work, I'll share an example from my own life-my journey to eliminate chemicals and toxins from my lifestyle. Several years ago, I learned that we are exposed to up to 123 toxins before we even leave the house in the morning. I knew I wanted to raise the bar on my wellness, but doing so seemed overwhelming. I used this very process (and still do) to continually up my game.

1. Quick Hits. My first quick hits were no food related-no more chemicals, additives, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. I knew my life and health depending on it so that was an easy change for me. I also stopped using eye shadow, eye liner and lip liner (filled with carcinogens.) These products only accentuated my wrinkles anyway! It was also easy for me to stop using aluminum based deodorant or antiperspirant and perfume. Doing so streamlined my morning process and saved me time and money. The best part is that something like eliminating perfume on a daily basis is an example of a keystone habit. Keystone habits are behavior patterns that can reprogram other routines in your life. Daily reminders that give you power to make other changes. Every morning that I didn't reach for the perfume, I reinforced my decision to live a toxin free life. If skipping the scent was possible, other changes would be as well. My clients begin with the keystone habit of Juice Plus, a whole food based supplement. It's amazing how that daily dedication to eating something healthy results in more exercise, less soft drinks and no more eating fast food.
2. Ease Into Change. Over the next several years, I made a change every couple months, usually as the opportunity presented itself. I found a chemical free Vitamin C based face moisturizer that was an easy substitution for a product I'd been using. Same thing with shampoo and conditioner. I traded in my lip stick for all natural, lip color, changed to fluoride free toothpaste and found coconut oil (the very same kind I cook with) was a fantastic body moisturizer. I began cleaning my house with vinegar instead of toxic cleaning products. Every shopping trip was an opportunity to upgrade, one product at a time, small step by small step.
3. Evolution. I never get down on myself for the chemicals that still exist in my life. I focus on the positive changes that I have made and keep moving along on the journey. Some changes that took time were finding a good water filter to eliminate plastic bottle leeching, switching to soap berries instead of chemical laced laundry soap and (just recently) finding a great quality hollow air headset to eliminate cell phone radiation. I know I'll never be "done" improving my personal environment. My list for 2013 includes avoiding microwave use, tetra packs (like the kind all natural, organic vegetable broth and almond milk come in) and contaminating dental procedures. I'm sure I'll stumble along the way. I expect that, but I also know I will get back on track, try again and keep moving forward.

Eliminating chemical toxins can alleviate headaches, allergies and digestive issues (among many, many other positive effects). It can help you lose weight. Avoiding pesticides and hormones can even prevent sterility and premature puberty. That's a habit worth kicking and it's not so hard if you ease into it!