🎥 MATT'S BLUE ZONE VLOG
Join Matt as we break down the three phases of any habit so that we can create more effortless lasting change toward our healthy goals.
👁 TODAY'S INTENTION
Today, let's master our habits to foster lasting happiness.
Our habits shape our lives. By understanding the structure of our habits, we gain control over them. Whether it's breaking an old habit or forming a new one, knowing the triggers and rewards helps us transform routines that no longer serve us. This mastery unlocks the door to a healthier, happier life. Today is about clarity, patience, and the joy of incremental progress.
Ready to dive into the magic of habit transformation!?
🌎 BLUE ZONE INSPIRATION
In Blue Zones, regions where people live exceptionally long lives, healthy habits are deeply ingrained. Daily movement, social connections, and whole food diets are just a few examples. The residents don’t rely on willpower; their environment naturally supports good habits.
By designing our surroundings and routines, we can foster healthier habits more effortlessly.
In his garden, Seiryu Toguchi, 104, savors a few minutes of sun—a source of vitamin D, which can help prevent osteoporosis. Why the red gloves? They’re easy to find.
Thriving in simplicity, let's take a note from Seiryu and bask in the environmental cues that naturally foster healthy habits and longevity.
💬 QUOTE
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, profoundly impacted Western thought. His insights into habits reveal that consistent actions shape our character and destiny.
🧬 SCIENCE
Research from Duke University reveals that over 40% of our daily actions are habitual. This automaticity frees up mental energy for more complex tasks. However, it also means that both positive and negative habits can run on autopilot.
To change a habit, we must first understand its three-part structure: (1) trigger, (2) routine, and (3) reward. Identifying these elements allows us to consciously redesign our habits. 🔎👇
🧘 HEALTHY HABIT
Let’s redesign a habit today! Identify one small unhealthy habit you'd like to change. Break it down into its three components:
- Trigger: A place, time, emotion, thought sequence, or people.
- Routine: The action you take.
- Reward: The satisfaction you gain.
Example: If stress eating is your habit, recognize the trigger (stress), the routine (eating), and the reward (relief). Replace the routine with a healthier one, like deep breathing or a quick walk, to achieve similar rewards.
Start by observing just one habit today. Note the trigger, the routine, and the reward. This awareness is the first step towards transformation.
✍🏼 JOURNAL PROMPTS
This exercise will help you identify and replace an unhealthy habit with a healthy alternative using the Habit Loop (Trigger, Habit, Reward).
A habit I want to change:
Write the unhealthy habit you want to replace.
- Trigger:
What cues or situations trigger this habit? (e.g., stress, boredom, after work) - Habit:
What action do you take when triggered? - Reward:
What positive feeling or outcome do you get from this habit?
New Habit Design:
- New Healthy Routine: Choose a healthier habit that provides a similar benefit to the reward.
- Implementation Plan: How will you remind yourself to engage in the new habit when the old trigger arises? (e.g., set reminders, a change in environment, etc.)
⚕️ MEDICINAL MOTTO
Creatures are made of habits.
Our habits shape our lives. By understanding and mastering our habits, we can steer our lives toward health and happiness. Repeat this mantra while reflecting on your power to create change.
📣 AFFIRMATION
I am building a lifestyle of health and happiness.
🙌 KUDOS
Fantastic work today! You’ve taken a crucial step in your health journey by further understanding and transforming your habits. Keep nurturing this intention throughout the day, and remember, every small change adds up to significant transformation.
💬 COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
What’s one small unhealthy habit you’re committed to changing this week?
Share your habit transformation plan in the comments, and let’s support each other on this journey!
When I let the anger/stress really build up I still dig into my skin, although rarely with anything other then my own nails. Its something i’ve done since 2008, I stopped for a few years but its just something thats, convenient?
I know i’ve never dealt with emotions well. I’ve went thorugh years when I replaced it with working out but my health is not great and I hate sitting around in sweat/showering during the day so its hard to get myself to do it. I know it helps but in the moment the “if I work out, I have to shower, do I want to shower?” kicks in and its just not ‘worth it’ (again, in the moment. Sitting here writing this, being sweaty is 200% worth it)
I started doing little workout challenges again and I’ve been doing okay with them!
My bad habit begins by walking into the shop and purchasing. I can change this habit by walking past that shop and go into the fruit shop instead and purchase fruit for an afternoon sugar fix.
I have a terrible habit of slouching while doing computer work and sitting for hours on end in front of my computer working. This creates severe upper neck and back pain which I only notice later on. What I will do is set a timer for 30 minutes and do a stretch or walk around after every 30 minutes. This will also allow me to be more aware of my posture and sitting correctly.
Eating until I’m full (like..fullfull haha) is certainly sg I’d like to stop. With a more mindful eating approach it should work.
Recently all of my bad habits have stemmed from my lack of belief in my own will power. I seem to consistently be telling myself that I can’t quit, I can’t stop doing things that I know are ultimately unhealthy for me in the long term. The thing is I know that I can. And I also know that I need to patient with myself.
SO for me it’s one step larger than this. I need to look at my thoughts in terms of my own will, and start telling myself that I can and that ultimately I will. Day by day, one step at a time.
Change smoking for a deep breathing exercise
I check my phone way to often, either to see if the person I was talking to answered, or to check social networks even if I already did it 2 mins ago. Just because I suffer from anxiety and can’t just do nothing or let myself think too much. It’s a very bad habit that leads me to stalk people or to panic for no reasons. I’ll just shut down the wi-fi when I’m about to do something, and let myself a moment to check on my phone at the end of the day, when I did what I wanted to, so I can really enjoy seeing something new when I check, or have the control of the rythm of a conversation instead of depending on it.
I will cut back on eating junk food after school only because I need to loose lots of weight in order to ride my horse as they can carry up to 20% of their own weight, and I’m over that not by much but I am over that limit for my horses.
I will replace unhealthy ‘reward’ or stress eating by rewarding my body with good nourishment – water and food – as this is what it (I) truly deserve…