They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit.
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but sadly, that number is a big fat lie that likely originated and spread like wildfire with a classic 1960s self-help book, Psycho-Cybernetics, A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life. For a lucky few, 21 days may indeed be all you need to change the cue to your brain to do that new, better thing for you, whether it be to stop eating a candy bar at your desk at 4:00pm every afternoon, or to give your eyeballs, brain and body a boost by going for a 15-minute walk on your lunch break every day. For others, it may take over 60 days, or even over 200, depending on the level of difficulty involved in forming your new habit.
It’s so much easier to start a habit than it is to break one. Patterns are formed when are synaptic pathways get used to receiving the same communication time and time again, to the point where a behavior seems natural, and it’s easier to do the behavior (think auto-pilot) rather than utilize brain power to come up with an idea to do something else. Smoke that cigarette after lunch. Get that mid-afternoon frappuccino. Type away furiously on your phone while you’re in a meeting. You get the point.
So what about asking your employees to buddy up for 21 days, and to select one work-related goal each of them wants to work toward – a habit they want to change – and having them hold each other accountable? Bad habits are part of the human experience. No one is exempt from them. Your team spends at least 40 hours per week together–why not make use of that time in a way that will increase happiness, health and productivity?
Examples can run the gamut, from switching to a healthy work snack or lunch, to doing the hardest task at work first thing in the morning to make space for other tasks throughout the day, to leaving your cell phone behind during meetings, going for a walk during lunch, eliminating smoking on work time (every little step counts!), cleaning up your workstation at the end of the day, and so on and so forth. Partners can keep track of each other’s progress and check in with one another, and anyone who has a successful 21-day track record can be rewarded with something fun and easy (free lunch, movie passes, use your imagination)! It’s a great exercise for morale, health and wellness, and may also give your team an opportunity to connect with one other on a different level.
21 days may not be enough to get you where you want to be, but it’s certainly a start, and a wonderful way to make the work environment an even happier, fun and healthy place to be.
Contact Shannon at sha@dashawellness.com to book your custom-tailored health event at your company today. DASHA® is a wellness lifestyle brand and Manhattan-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. DASHA®’s corporate health initiative is to educate, motivate, reward and inspire employees to instill better health habits and make educated decisions. DASHA® understands that if your employees are able to stand tall, feel healthy and confident, they will be better people and can contribute more productively to their work environment. DASHA®’s motto is “enhance your well-being.”
