Keep, Add, Drop – 3 Steps to Creating Healthy Habits in Your Life
- Jan 29
- 3 min read
Eva Gordon works with individuals, families, and organizations to promote safety, well-being, and self-care. Eva is the founder and director of Life Guide LCSW, P.C., a mental health practice providing psychotherapy and community mental health education.
As the new year starts to unfold, it is time to take inventory of your life. Whether or not you set resolutions for the new year, it is always a clever idea to survey your life holistically. The goal is to identify what works, what does not, and what to add to establish healthy habits that improve your quality of life.
What is a habit? Habits are formed when behaviors become automatic. This makes an unhealthy habit hard to break, as repeated actions reinforce it. As creatures of habit, we must be kind to ourselves and realize that the longer a habit persists, the harder it is to change. When setting goals like New Year’s resolutions, reflect on your daily routines and recognize which actions occur automatically.
Many people set goals each year but struggle to accomplish them because of missing concrete steps. To build healthy habits, start with a clear goal, set a deadline, and define one or two specific actions. Incorporating small steps consistently is what forms a healthy habit.
1. Keep
What are one or more healthy habits in your life? What are your current healthy habits? Before you decide to add or drop habits, which habits are going well? Do you wake up on time every day, eat dinner at the same time, or take one day for the gym or spiritual or religious practices? It is important to observe what is going right in your life, reflect on your strengths, and consider your current overall quality of life.
2. Add
Is there a habit that you need to start doing that you have been thinking about? One common habit to add could be losing weight. To make this a habit, think about what types of food you need to reduce or add. This might include eating one snack a day, drinking one glass of wine or one can of beer once or twice a week, or only on weekends. You could also add a healthy food. As the old saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Adding two fruits a day could help with healthy weight management and make healthy eating a habit. Other habits to add include reading a book weekly or daily, going for a ten-minute walk each day, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or going outside for lunch if you work from home. Adding a healthy habit can help reduce health risk factors such as obesity, social isolation, or excessive screen time.
Related article: 3 Simple Hacks for Building Healthy Habits
3. Drop
What habit do you want to stop doing or do less of? How many times have you said, “I need to stop doing ______.” This likely happens frequently, and in some cases, you find it hard to stop because you are comfortable with the habit. With the new year here, identify one habit that needs to end or lessen to improve your life. This could include complaining less, reducing social media scrolling by timing it, or limiting soda to weekends.
One perspective on dropping unhealthy habits starts with what you value. If you value learning, attend in-person educational events rather than relying on the internet. If you value gratitude, you can replace complaining with writing down one thing you are thankful for. If endurance is something you cherish, substituting the elevator with taking the stairs helps build strength.
Take time to decide which habits you need to keep, add, or drop to improve your quality of life. If you experience challenges in exploring your habits, psychotherapy sessions can help you examine obstacles and gain clarity about your life.
If you need more strategies or skills to create healthy habits, contact me for a consultation.
Read more from Eva M. Gordon, LCSW
Eva M. Gordon, LCSW, Psychotherapist and Mental Health Consultant
Eva M. Gordon, LCSW, is the founder and director of Life Guide LCSW, P.C., a mental health practice providing psychotherapy and community mental health education in the New York City area. Her focus is on providing mental health treatment to the Black community as a source of healing and hope. She mainly works with Black professional women ages 30 and up who struggle with unhealthy relationships. The goal is to help these women recognize that self-care is their birthright and not a privilege. Eva uses several strategies, including exploring behavioral patterns, emotional management, and understanding how multiple factors contribute to a person’s mental health during their lifespan.
