Implementing Daily Healthy Habits through "Anchoring"

Anchoring is something that I've discovered kind of inadvertently.

See, I'm a bit of a superstitious and, for a long time, I had a habit of making a wish any time I looked at the time and saw mirrored numbers (09:09, 10:10, 11:11, 12:12, ...). For some reason, I catch these all. day. long. so I was making a LOT of wishes.

But one day, I had a thought: what if I shifted this habit of mine into something that could actually be good for me?

I decided to replace wish-making with gratitude. I figured: instead of asking the universe for more things, it might be good to express gratitude for what I already have.

So, for a few months now, I've been pausing every time I catch a mirrored time and I practice gratitude for the present moment. I take a minute to notice how I'm in a warm, comfortable house, how I have unlimited access to food & water, how I am working on an expensive laptop that I am extremely privileged to have, how I am so lucky to do something I love for a living...

The best part of this habit is that it is such a mood shifter. Whatever my mood is, practicing gratitude has a way of instantaneously making me feel good.

Expressing gratitude on mirrored times has been MY way of practicing anchoring but, essentially, here's what anchoring boils down to:

Pick any daily reoccurring event (the "anchor") and associate any healthy habit to that event.

For example:

- Any time I finish a meeting (reoccurring event), I will drink a class of water (healthy habit)

- Any time I get an email (reoccurring event), I will sit up straight (healthy habit)

Here are some examples of reoccurring events that you could use as your daily anchor:

• Catching mirrored times (09:09, 10:10, 11:11, 12:12, ...)

• Receiving a text message

• Receiving an email from a specific person

• Going to the bathroom

• Finishing a meeting

• Opening your laptop (or waking it up)

• Catching the bus or getting in a car

• Having a meal or a snack

• Getting a cup of tea or coffee

• Putting your phone on to charge

Here are some examples of healthy habits:

• Drinking a glass of water

• Taking 3 deep breaths

• Sitting up straight

• Expressing gratitude

• Shifting your energy to be more open

• Connecting to your body for a few seconds

• Smiling

• Stretching

• Doing 10 squats

• Mentally saying something you love about yourself

Here are a few more combinations of how those might come together:

Any time I go to the bathroom, I will smile at myself in the mirror

Any time I have a meal or a snack, I will express gratitude for the present moment

Any time open my laptop, I will take 3 deep breaths

Any time I go get myself a cup of tea/coffee, I will do 1 yoga pose

Any time I get in my car, I will mentally say something I love about myself

... the options are limitless!

The only 2 rules of Anchoring are:

>> The anchor needs to be something that happens multiple times a day, every day

>> The associated healthy habit must be something simple enough that you can do if every time

So, tell me:

Which reoccurring event will you choose as your anchor and which healthy habit will you associate to it?

I would LOVE to hear what you choose to implement. Shoot me a quick email at vivitheyogi@gmail.com to le me know and let's have a chat!

All love,

Vic