Improve Your Healthspan with Healthy Habits
Every January, millions of people set New Year’s resolutions promising themselves a fresh start, a big change, or a major transformation. Yet research consistently shows that most resolutions fade within just a few weeks. This isn’t because people don’t care or lack commitment, but because resolutions rely heavily on motivation, and motivation naturally fluctuates from day to day.
Research shows that instead of relying on motivation, we are far more likely to create lasting change by building small, consistent habits. When repeated over time, these habits compound and can lead to significant improvements in our health and wellbeing.
Four Laws of Behaviour Change
In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear explains that predictable, lasting results don’t come from short bursts of motivation or dramatic changes.
Instead, meaningful change comes from small, strategic improvements that compound over time.
Clear introduces the Four Laws of Behaviour Change:
Make it Obvious
Make it Attractive
Make it Easy
Make it Satisfying
By focusing on systems and routines rather than goals alone, we are much more likely to create long-term change and avoid the familiar ups and downs of New Year’s resolutions. Even when goals are achieved, such as losing weight or completing a fun run we often revert to old habits once the goal is reached.
As James Clear puts it:
When we think about health, we often focus on how long we might live - our lifespan. But an equally important (and arguably more meaningful) measure is healthspan, which refers to the number of years you live in good health, with energy, independence, and quality of life.
One of the biggest influences on healthspan is your daily habits. The small choices you make each day whether to move your body or stay sedentary, choose an apple or a biscuit, scroll social media or connect with a friend, go to bed early or watch one more episode - add up over time. Up to 95% of what we do each day is automatic and subconscious, which means the first step in creating healthier habits is simply becoming more aware of the habits you already have. From there, aim to choose just 2-4 small habit changes that feel realistic and sustainable.
When doing so, remember the Four Laws of Behaviour Change: make the habit obvious, attractive, easy, and satisfying. You’re far better off choosing fewer, simpler habits that you can maintain long term, rather than attempting too many or overly complex changes that are difficult to sustain.
PFC’s 8 Areas of Life
At Peninsula Family Chiropractic, our model of health identifies eight key areas of life that contribute to both healthspan and lifespan (see diagram below).
By recognising the areas you’re already doing well in, and those that may need more support, you can start to introduce small, meaningful habits that lead to lasting health improvements.
And if you miss a day or two, don’t worry, no one is perfect. Life will always bring disruptions such as holidays, busy schedules, or illness. The beauty of habits is that they’re easy to restart. Simply begin again the next day, without guilt or self-criticism.
Healthy habits aren’t about perfection, they’re about consistency. Small actions, repeated over time, can profoundly shape your health, energy, and quality of life well into the future. If you’d like support in building habits that support your nervous system and overall wellbeing, our team at Peninsula Family Chiropractic is here to help.