13 smart tips for starting (and sticking to) a new healthy routine this fall
Let's tap into the fresh start effect…
You’ve probably heard me wax poetic about how much I love the new energy and back-to-school vibes of autumn for a habit reset. Behavioral scientists have a term for this feeling: the fresh start effect. The jist is, when we feel like we’re entering a new era — whether it’s January 1, the first day of a new job or school year, or a new season like fall — we get a strong sensation of new possibilities, and new opportunities to tackle life the way we want to.
I think autumn is an especially powerful time for this for a few reasons:
We’re coming off summer, which can be a time when good habits go a little sideways. And we love it! But later nights and more rosé over the course of several weeks don’t always leave us feeling great. To be clear: This isn’t about “making up” for “bad behavior,” okay? Just saying that the slightly more buttoned-up structure of autumn lends itself well to re-buttoning some of our wellness-related routines, too.
We tend to have more energy to keep up helpful habits. I don’t know about you, but Januaries are rough for me. I feel like I barely survived this past one! Getting through the day was enough of a challenge without adding lofty goals on top of it.
We also have the benefits of reasonable weather and reasonable sunlight — without the intense heat of summer. So if your goals include things like taking a daily walk or jog, that’s going to feel so much better than if you were freezing (or sweating your brains out), or trying to squeeze it into the precious few hours of sunlight of a February day.
All this is why I’m so excited about the 30-day strength challenge I’ll be kicking off on September 21. You can learn more about it here, and if you’re a paid subscriber, you can find a discount code (for a sweet, sweet $50 off!) in the Substack chat or past the paywall on a recent WOW. I’m putting the finishing touches on the program now and it’s going to be soooo goooood!
Anyway, to celebrate these great fall vibes, I’ll be doing a series of posts this month with great advice — from you, and from some of my favorite writers and experts — about resetting your habits. The tips I got have been GOLDEN so far, and I’m very excited to share them with you.
To start things off, some of my favorite advice for starting (or restarting) a new habit of any kind, in general. You may notice that some of these perspectives are a bit different from each other (some people love making a detailed plan, others like to just dive in). That’s okay! We’re all individuals, and what works for one person may not work for you.
Think small:
“Starting small and building until the routine has become a habit has been the most successful, in my personal experience!” —Ashantis Jones, weight-inclusive personal trainer and mental health provider
“Little and often. Being the triple-threat eldest daughter/Type A/Virgo that I am, I have a tendency to want to go ALL IN. I want perfection, and if it's anything less than that, I give up. I'm a classic 'It starts on Monday' type. But what actually works for me are habits that are easy to implement and relatively small. Prepping all my supplements into pots and pill cases at the beginning of the week, or buying a desk for my treadmill so that I can walk and answer emails at the same time. Small habits that don't eat up hours of my day, but all but all stack up into something bigger.” —Anna Newton, author of The Wardrobe Edit
“Mostly just get started. For me if I have too much of a plan I’ll find a way that I’ve failed early on. I have to start and give it space to fit in. This may take longer but seems to lead to longer lasting effect and good state of mind.” —Jennie
Think practical:
“[Know] exactly when it fits into your day. If someone is a very routine based person like I am and you have an intention but no specific time for it, it won’t happen. It helps me to pair it with other items in my routine: ‘If my run is 30 minutes I’ll have 20 minutes for strength before I shower’ or ‘I’ll always take my pill when I make my coffee.’” —Leigh
“In starting new routines, I suggest focusing on 3 things: 1. Realistic scheduling (‘When can I ACTUALLY do this?’), 2. Starting with short time brackets (5m/10m/15m), and 3. Replacing judgment with compassion. Negative self-talk will never allow new habits to form. Being inconsistent is part of establishing consistency!” —Francesca Piccioni, personal trainer
“Human beings refuse to accept the fact that we're ridiculously easily led, but the best way to stick to a new routine is to make it convenient. If your weights or mat are even slightly annoying to get out (eg. from under your bed) then you won't do the workout. Keep them out where you can see them — I leave mine literally in the middle of the floor so that I trip over them in the morning, then I can't forget to use them.” —Rosamund Dean, author of Well Well Well with Rosamund Dean
“Put SYSTEMS in place. If focusing on meal prep, put GROCERY SHOPPING into your calendar, put RECIPE RESEARCH, MEAL PREP, and even SITTING DOWN TO ENJOY FOOD into your calendar. These things take time and energy and won't happen magically if they are not already one of your strengths.” —Ana Costa, personal trainer and owner of Esquina, the incredible studio where I teach Pilates (come check out a class sometime!)
Be flexible:
“Honestly, I've always had a rough time with routines. I love hearing about them, so I'll get really ambitious and plan one out, do it for a few days, crash from the effort, and then beat myself up for not sticking to it. This is actually the first fall that I have something that's semi-working. I set up morning and night routines in an app called Routinery. The app allows you to set up the tasks consecutively and once you check one off, you move to the next. That works as far as remembering what I should do without much effort, but I noticed it was making me stressed out to have a timer running and that I wasn't always able to do the tasks in the same order depending on which kid was up when, etc. I started using the list of tasks without the timer and now it just acts as a checklist. I don't put any pressure on myself to complete every task in order, but check off the ones I can when I can. Some days I check off 40% of the tasks, some days 70%, but now I see it as an accomplishment to check off anything, rather than a failure if I don't get 100%.” —Dacy Gillespie, author of unflattering
Find your purpose:
“Drill down to the why — if you can get clear with yourself on why this new routine matters, it will be easier to remind yourself why you're choosing to push through the hard days of building a new habit. I have to constantly review what matters to me in any particular season and draw direct connections between my habits and routines to those values. If a particular routine isn't connected to something that really matters, why am I holding onto it? I'm asking myself questions like this nearly all the time as life ebbs and flows from week to week.” —Liz Ryan, author of journals on the journey
“Keep your ‘why’ in mind and make sure your ‘why’ is rooted in your values (and not just some fad you saw online). When you fall out of the routine, you'll have a great reason to get back into it rather than feeling stuck in the shame/guilt of not doing it perfectly.” — Gretchen Wallace, MS, RD, author of The Full Life
Make it rewarding:
“Low expectations! We all buy into that myth of transformation (‘This beautiful planner will be the one that changes my life!’) but it's not usually realistic or sustainable. I'm also a fan of little rewards — whether that's stickers on a calendar (which I used for drafting my manuscript — shout-out to the #AmWriting podcast) or planning a little treat of some kind. I guess the best thing is to make the behavior rewarding in itself — like meeting a friend for a walk (or whatever the new activity is) — but sometimes the things we need to do (like physical therapy exercises) aren't inherently pleasurable, but tying them to something enjoyable can help. For instance, I do my essential stretches and various PT things while watching sports or other TV in the evening." —Oona Hanson, author of Parenting Without Diet Culture
“Start small and stay positive. Does it sound bland and unsexy? Absolutely it does! And that's why it works. While it may seem cringe or even useless to cheer yourself on for putting your clothes out the night before, cleaning your water bottle, or going for a short walk, this helps your brain feel good and say, ‘Hey... let's maybe try it again??’ In the past, I've asked for help by finding an accountability partner and used sticker charts. I love both!” —Maria Sylvester Terry, MS, RDN, LDN
“Tell someone else about it!” —Kate
Next week, we’ll talk about great tips for reprioritizing sleep! Stay tuned.
xo
Anna
Such amazing advice from everyone - it is so validating to read that most of us have a hard time starting a new routine!
So many great tips, I also feel the fresh start effect at the beginning of the school year. In fact I actually have a post about it tomorrow relating the parent reading life.