You are a smart cookie and can make your own decisions, but did you know that your home influences your daily behavior?

Your daily behavior is influenced by what you see

Seventy percent (70%) of your sensory receptors are in your eyes, so what you see really influence your behavior. That means your home can influence the choices you make throughout the day – what you wear, what you eat, how often you eat, when (and if) you exercise can be determined by what you see going on around you.

“A small change in what you see can lead to a big shift in what you do.” James Clear

We are so sensitive to visual cues that we don’t even realize our daily behaviors are being affected, but here are some examples:

• You might mindlessly grab a Dr. Pepper every morning because it’s right in front of you as you open the refrigerator.
• Maybe you see your workout clothes as soon as you walk into your bathroom, so you start mentally gearing up for exercise.
• Checking your phone as soon as you roll out of bed can be a daily behavior if it’s the first thing you see when you open your eyes each morning.
• You may turn on the television as soon as you get home from work because you see that big comfy chair and remote control.

Daily behaviors are different for everyone because everyone’s homes are set up differently. The Loving Your Home Club is all about creating a home that supports you and your dreams. If you notice that your behaviors are becoming unwanted habits you can use your home to change that.

Tiny tweaks create big changes

There’s no need to completely overhaul your entire home to up-level your life. In The Club, we focus on one space at a time because you can create positive shifts in your daily behavior by making simple, tiny tweaks to your home.

Daily eating behaviors

If we see it, we eat it (at least that’s my personal experience). I can mindlessly munch on nuts every time I go into the pantry, and I go into our pantry often. Why do I grab a handful of nuts throughout the day? Because those yummy, high-fat, calorie packed little nuggets of goodness are at eye-level. Grabbing a handful every time I see them is a behavior influenced by the way I set up my pantry. To curb my repeated munching, I moved the almonds and pistachios above my head. Now I don’t have the visual cue to snack on them all the time because I don’t really see them. I have interrupted that behavioral pattern.

I’m I saying eating nuts is bad and you should hide them so you don’t eat them? Not at all. I’m just illustrating how what you see influences what you do.

Here are a few other examples:

• We tend to gravitate towards what we see, so put the snacks you’d like to eat most often at eye-level.
• Putting sodas and beer in the back of the refrigerator will cause you to drink them less frequently because they are not super accessible.
• Filling up bottles of water and placing them wherever you spend most of your day may increase your water intake.

Daily movement behaviors

Making small tweaks can gradually get you into a daily habit of movement and exercise. If you don’t love exercising, try pairing it with something you do love like taking your favorite book to the gym so you can read as you sit on the exercise bike, or placing a television in front of the treadmill so you can watch your favorite show while you walk.

There are a few other tiny adjustments you can make:

• The night before, lay out your workout shoes and clothes as a visual reminder to go to the gym.
• Make sure your workout clothes and equipment look nice so that you are excited to use them. Throw out any “comfy”, worn out, hole-y clothes.
• Post gym hours and class schedules on your refrigerator or another spot you see every day.
• Put a sticky note reminder on your bathroom mirror as a motivator: “Today, I workout! No excuses.”
• Every time you pop into the Loving Your Home Community do one of the many 5-minute Home-Body Workouts that are available to you.

Daily sleep behaviors

When it comes to good sleep habits and your home, less is more. Less stuff equals more sleep. If you chronically struggle to fall asleep, designate your bedroom as a sleep only zone. Don’t read, work or fold laundry in your bedroom. Get your body used to the idea that once you walk into your bedroom, at the end of the night, it’s time to go to sleep.

You can also create good sleep habits by doing these things:

• Remove as many distractions as possible: devices, televisions and clutter.
• Turn lights down low in your home at least 30 minutes before you plan to fall asleep.
• Leave your phone in another room before heading into your bedroom.
• Place a lavender or jasmine scented oil diffuser next to your bed.

Loving your home is always about loving yourself, and creating a home that encourages positive daily behaviors is a great way to love yourself.