It’s easy to recognize the value of spending time outdoors, but transforming that desire into action can be challenging. Learn how to break free from old patterns and build new healthy outdoor habits with our expert insights and actionable steps.
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The role of habits in forming healthy outdoor habits
In our busy lives, habits play a significant role in shaping our daily activities. Studies show that around 40% of our daily behaviors are habitual and performed in a repeated context without much conscious thought. This automaticity of habits can be both beneficial and challenging, especially when it comes to adopting new behaviors like forming healthy outdoor habits and getting involved in outdoor recreation.
The neuroscience behind habit formation explains how these patterns develop. As we repeat behaviors in stable contexts, our brain shifts from consciously directing the actions to forming associations between environmental cues and responses.
The intentional, goal-oriented part of the brain takes a backseat as the habitual, context-driven system takes over. This makes habits rigid and difficult to change, even when we know we should.
This dynamic is particularly evident when it comes to adopting healthy outdoor habits. Many people understand the value of getting outside for exercise and relaxation and wish to reconnect with nature; however, their habitual patterns—whether it’s going straight home after work, spending free time on screens, or other ingrained routines—can derail their best intentions. As the article notes, “The thoughtful intentional mind is easily derailed, and people tend to fall back on habitual behaviors.”
How to form healthy outdoor habits: Three key principles
1. Disrupt existing habits: Major life changes, like moving or changing jobs, provide a prime opportunity to form healthy outdoor habits as the familiar cues that trigger habitual behaviors are removed. But even small adjustments, like rearranging the house to put hiking gear in a more prominent place, can effectively interrupt old patterns and support the adoption of new healthy outdoor habits.
2. Repeat the new behavior consistently: Habit formation takes time, anywhere from 15 days to over 8 months, according to studies. Persisting with outdoor activities, even when motivation wanes, is critical to cement them as automatic responses.
3. Establish stable context cues: Linking new outdoor habits to existing routines can help trigger them reliably. For example, going for a daily walk after dinner or scheduling a weekly hike with friends provides consistent reminders and opportunities to repeat the behavior.
Applying these principles can be particularly helpful for adopting healthy outdoor habits. Many people express a desire to spend more time in nature or be more physically active, but their entrenched daily patterns make it challenging. Disrupting those patterns, repeating new outdoor activities consistently, and creating reliable contextual cues can help overcome this habit inertia and allow you to create lasting, healthy outdoor habits.
Of course, forming any new habit requires willpower and perseverance, which can be draining. The article notes that “willpower is a limited resource, and when it runs out, you fall back on habits.” That’s why environmental changes and consistent cueing are so important—they reduce the constant reliance on willpower to make the right choices.
Ready to put these principles into practice and start forming healthy outdoor habits? The ExoTrails app can be your perfect companion, offering a variety of trails and outdoor activities to help you explore, connect with nature, and move a regular part of your life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding the neuroscience behind habit formation is key to transforming occasional outdoor activities into long-term healthy outdoor habits. By strategically disrupting old patterns, consistently repeating new behaviors, and establishing reliable triggers, you can integrate outdoor recreation into your daily life, and the rewards of improved physical and mental health, as well as a deeper connection with nature, make the effort of forming healthy outdoor habits more than worthwhile.
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