This Christmas I gave myself a rather unusual gift, but I'm incredibly happy with it. I bought a wooden pill organizer that's much cuter than the typical plastic ones. I thought it would look good, or at least not creak, on the kitchen counter. Since I've had it, my consistency in taking my daily supplements has improved significantly.
Why? For a very simple reason: I've removed the barriers that made it harder to remember to take my supplements—literally the cabinet doors where I keep the supplement bottles. Now I see the pill organizer in the kitchen and quickly have access to the pearls and capsules I take daily.
This has made me realize that self-care is easier when we make it easier for ourselves. Removing these barriers—or friction—means that self-care isn't a constant act of discipline. Here are some ideas that I think will help you:
To drink more water: Always keep a reusable water bottle handy. I prefer glass bottles because I find them more pleasant to drink from, but if you're going to carry it in a bag, stainless steel bottles are better because they won't break.
To go to the gym more often: Pack your gym bag the day before, and have your clothes and shoes ready so you don't have to look for them in the morning. If you like going to a class, sign up in advance so you don't have to make a decision right before.
To avoid eating ultra-processed foods: Don't buy them and don't keep them at home, but have foods that you like and that you can eat without having to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.
To read more: Always have a book handy - even if it's an electronic one on your mobile - so you can read at any time.
To see your loved ones more often: Set a date and time, even a recurring one, so that not too much time passes between visits, which are like vitamins.
To eat more at home: Prepare meals for the week, or the month if you have freezer space, and store them in a way that makes them easy to reheat and eat, such as in the number of portions you need.
This, by the way, also works in reverse. You can introduce friction—or difficulty—to prevent bad habits.
To use your mobile phone less: Put it somewhere out of sight and reach when you are doing other things - like reading, eating, etc. - so that you have to get up to pick it up.