How to Cultivate Good Habits

We've probably all heard the phrase "practice makes perfect". While it's impossible to be completely perfect with our everyday life, it is important to develop regular, good habits to make sure you are staying as healthy as possible. Access Dental and Dentures prioritizes your health, so we are here to help give you tips on how to create healthier habits in your life. Keep reading to learn more!

Start Small

If you are looking to create a healthier lifestyle, it's important to approach it with the long-term in mind. Take your health journey step by step by tackling one goal at a time. If you try to add a gallon of water a day, 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily, cutting out sugar, exercising for 30 minutes/day, waking up an hour earlier, and more, then it will be very easy for your to get burnt out before you can make a real positive change in your life. 

Instead of trying to change everything at once, start with one small goal. For example: Flossing your teeth every day. We all know that it is an important habit, but it can be one of the easiest to blow off. Make this simple, 5-minute task your first priority for adding healthy habits to your life and see what happens!

Plan for Success

Help remember the habit by giving yourself reminders. Set up alerts on your phone alarm and calendar, or tape notes for yourself in areas you will regularly see them. Visual reminders can be incredibly helpful in keeping you on track.

Replace bad habits with good ones to reduce the temptation of going back to them. Giving up soda and other sugary drinks? Replace that liquid consumption with water. For extra flavor to help prevent boredom, infuse your water with cucumber or lemon and basil. Trade candy for fresh fruit. Berries make a great substitute for that sour candy craving!

Reward each step of the process by keeping track of your new habit with a bullet journal or sticker chart. It may seem juvenile at first, but the feeling you get from regularly rewarding yourself for accomplishing the day’s goal can be a great motivation and reminder to help keep you going strong.

Forgive Yourself

As you set out to start your new habit this season, remember that no one is perfect. If you stumble and drink a bunch of sugary lemonade, or if the day gets away from you and you forget to floss, it’s not the end of the world. Remind yourself why you’re working toward your new healthy habit and get back to killing it the next day. You can do it!

Timing is Everything

Studies have shown that it takes a full 30 days to form a long-lasting habit. During that first month, it is important to perform the habit every day. If you allow yourself “cheat days” within that time frame, it can make it significantly more difficult to solidify the habit.

If possible, perform the habit at the same time every day to get your mind in a subconscious routine. After a month of regularly performing your new habit - say, flossing - it should come naturally!

The Best Local Dentist

Our team knows that changing our bad habits into good ones for the betterment of our health and wellness can be difficult. Especially when donuts taste so good! But, we believe in you. Access Dental and Dentures is the best local dentist for a number of reasons. We have several convenient locations, we can help improve your smile and dental health, and most importantly ... we care about you. Believe in yourself and schedule an appointment with Access Dental to get started on the road to a healthier mouth.

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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