Good habits can be extremely powerful, but making a habit stick is easier said than done. When it comes to hair loss treatment, or improving hair health and growth, results can only be achieved through consistency. However, many people struggle with maintaining a routine and give up before ever getting to reap the benefits of a hair care habit.
Think about it like this: if you want to get fit, it’s not enough to get a gym membership. You need to show up to work out regularly in order to get the results you want. Tell that to the 27% of Australians with a gym membership who barely go, despite paying fees every month!
The same goes for simpler habits, such as sticking to preventative hair loss medication or taking a supplement to improve hair health.
How long does it take to form new habits?
If you have struggled with keeping up healthy habits in the past, you’re not alone. Don’t feel bad, it’s not an easy feat to make new habits permanent!
According to a study by the University College London, creating a new habit takes 66 days on average. However, everyone is different – the same study found the timeframe for forming new habits to range anywhere from 18 to 254 days.
When creating a new routine or habit, make sure you are setting yourself up for success before you start. The key is to incorporate the new habit into your everyday life as seamlessly as possible. Here are 5 tips to help you start on the front foot and make your new routine stick.
1. Plan with precision
Plan exactly when and how in your day the new habit will take place, right down to the hour of the day. If you need to take a daily supplement or medication, plan the time and place you’ll be taking it every day.
Are you taking it first thing in the morning? Place pills on your nightstand with a glass of water, or put topical products next to your toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet. Is the pill recommended to be taken with a meal? Put it in the kitchen to take right after breakfast.
2. Combine habits that reinforce one another
This point elaborates on the last one. One good habit can really go hand-in-hand with another, helping you gain a sense of control over your life. For example, a consistent meal routine can help you remember to take your supplements or medication. Maybe take them every day as part of a healthy breakfast, or with a post-workout protein shake at night.
3. Tell people about your new habit
The people around us affect our behaviour enormously, whether by offering us moral support or by directly holding us accountable. Having the right people in your corner can make all the difference in forming a new habit! An action as simple as talking about your new habit or goal to the people around you can be a powerful way of improving your own attitude and helping you stick with it. You can even ask someone in your life to hold you accountable by checking in on you and reminding you of the reason you started in the first place.
Not only can other people help you stay accountable, they may even make it easier for you to stick with the routine. If, for example, you’re vowing to have a healthy breakfast every day, the people you live with may want to join in on your new habit, meal planning together and taking turns to prepare breakfast. Or, if you want to meditate each morning before work, they’re more likely to let you be when they see you sitting in a chair, eyes closed and headphones on.
4. Keep track of your progress
Remember, seeing the full results of hair loss medication or supplements can take months, even a year. Check the packaging of your medication or speak to your doctor to find out how long until you can expect to see full results. Then, keep track of how long you have kept the new habit up and make sure you give it adequate time to start working. Log progress in a calendar or a habit-tracking app, then reward yourself along the way, for example for every month you’ve received a prescription delivery and taken it as suggested.
5. Don’t be discouraged
People tend to feel defeated and give up altogether when they fall off track with a new habit. Stopping altogether is the absolute last thing you should do! If the habit doesn’t stick right away, don’t be discouraged to start again. Assess where you went wrong the last time, make changes and try again – it’s not uncommon having to try a few times before a new habit becomes a no-brainer.
Most of us already have a few healthy routines we stick to without question, such as brushing our teeth, showering, packing lunch or taking care of our skin. If you have been able to stick to one healthy routine, there’s no reason you wouldn’t be able to stick to another!
Need a bit of extra motivation to stick to your hair loss or hair growth treatment routine? At Gro, we know the decision to have a hair transplant is not made quickly. That’s why any money you have spent on hair loss treatments at our online clinic will be deducted from the final price of a hair transplant if you decide to get one in the future, provided your subscription has remained active.
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For personalised information regarding a hair transplant, book an online or in-clinic consultation with a Gro Hair Growth Specialist. Simply click on the button below to book a consultation. Alternatively, you can call us on 1300 787 563.
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