Making changes to your eating, exercise, sleep, and social behaviors may help improve your overall health and prevent conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Your “lifestyle” refers to your typical daily behaviors, habits, and living conditions.

When a doctor recommends making lifestyle changes, they’re suggesting that you adopt “healthy” behaviors to support your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, as well as manage chronic conditions.

These behaviors typically fall within one of the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, which have been developed by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the United Kingdom’s Royal College of General Practitioners. The six pillars are:

  • physical activity
  • diet
  • social connectedness and well-being
  • stress management
  • sleep
  • harmful substance avoidance

While making lifestyle changes may sound straightforward, it can be a challenging process that requires time, commitment, and support. For instance, it takes 2 to 5 months to form new habits and for them to feel natural.

A key element to making lifestyle changes is that the motivation comes from you, rather than an external source. If you intuitively believe the change is positive, then you will be more likely to stick with your goals.

It’s not an easy journey, but knowing which pillars to focus on, how to set goals, and where to find support can help you stay motivated and make a large impact on your overall well-being.

Keep reading to learn more about the stages of forming lifestyle changes, the six individual pillars, and how to find support if you’re living with an underlying health condition.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) has classified the process of making lifestyle changes into four stages, each with its own function, purpose, and challenge:

  1. Contemplation: This is when you’re considering making a change. You might think your health will improve if you become more active, or a doctor has suggested you eat a more balanced diet.
  2. Preparation: You have decided to make a change. You may have set yourself a goal, determined which old habit to break, and started planning how to implement a new, healthy habit.
  3. Action: Now, you’re implementing the healthy behavior. You may be walking for 30 minutes daily, eating whole foods at each meal, and reducing your screen time before bed.
  4. Maintenance: You have been regularly implementing the new behavior for over 6 months, and it now feels like a habit that’s part of your regular routine.

During each stage, you will encounter roadblocks and challenges. This is normal. It can take a few months for your body and brain to get used to these new habits and for them to become automatic.

It’s important to set realistic goals, plan ahead for these challenges, and most importantly, be kind to yourself.

For example, if your goal is to replace eating out several times a week with cooking at home, you can find healthier recipes for the foods you like online, have the right cookware and spices, and limit takeout to once a week.

Remember, life happens, and you might end up having to eat out twice this week. This is OK! Instead of being hard on yourself, continue with your new behavior the following day. Eventually, it will become a habit.

Understanding these different stages can help you make long-term lifestyle changes.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important lifestyle habits for supporting your health, well-being, and life span.

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly and two strength training sessions that work all of the body’s major muscle groups.

There are many ways to break up your physical activity over the week. How you do so will depend on several factors, including your schedule, environment, and overall health condition.

If regular physical activity isn’t currently part of your daily routine, start with 25- to 30-minute exercise sessions that require only your body weight and minimal tools, such as running shoes, resistance bands, and a yoga mat.

If this feels too long, consider doing two to three mini-workouts throughout the day. The primary goal is to incorporate regular movement into your daily routine.

The Healthline Fit It In series offers numerous 22-minute workout videos that you can follow along with at home. Each video focuses on a different aspect of health and conditioning, such as beginner’s guides, mobility training, Pilates, full-body training, and more.

The following links also provide different workout ideas and plans to get you started:

Your diet and nutrition patterns play a big role in managing your overall health and well-being, and also affect a wide range of chronic conditions, including diabetes, obesity, cancer, and heart disease.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating and limiting the following foods:

It’s also important to eat within your calorie range and to stay well hydrated throughout the day.

Healthy eating is often a challenging lifestyle habit to form, but here are some tips to help you on your journey:

  • Cook your meals at home.
  • Meal prep by cooking in bulk.
  • Prepare high protein snacks and have them with you during the day.
  • Stock up on frozen vegetables and lean proteins, like chicken and seafood.
  • Swap out ultra-processed foods in your home for healthier options.
  • Stock up your pantry with items like tuna, unflavoured beans, and canned vegetables.
  • Eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day.
  • Try mindful eating by chewing your food slowly and limiting electronics at the table.

Consider speaking with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional if you’re unsure where to start. They can help develop a nutrition plan for you and give you tips to form new dietary habits.

Your social connectedness and the health of your relationships with others can have a significant impact on your emotional and mental health. A strong social network can also support your dietary and physical activity behaviors.

Connecting with others each day, whether they’re a friend, family member, or stranger, can help you be more sociable and foster meaningful relationships.

Here are some ways to help you be more sociable, even if you’re introverted:

  • Connect: Try connecting with a family member, friend, or colleague daily. This can include carpooling to work, walking during your lunch break, having dinner in the evening, or making phone calls.
  • Plan: Consider planning a daily activity with people you haven’t seen in a while.
  • Be present: If you live with others, such as roommates or family members, consider playing a board game with them, going outside, or watching a movie together instead of isolating yourself.
  • Volunteer: There are many places to volunteer and get involved in your community, including schools, animal shelters, and churches. These are often social environments in which you can form deep connections. Consider looking at Meals on Wheels America, The Salvation Army, and Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
  • Online forums: Online chat forums offer places where you can connect with others who have the same interests as you. You can also use these groups to meet others in your community.

Stress can have a significant impact on your mental and physical well-being. Chronic stress is associated with anxiety, depression, and obesity, among other health conditions.

  • being physically active daily
  • eating a balanced diet
  • spending time outside
  • writing in a journal
  • connecting with other people
  • trying meditation, yoga, or mindfulness
  • engaging in a creative and stimulating hobby
  • getting enough high quality sleep
  • limiting smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs

Speak with a healthcare professional if you regularly experience stress that affects your daily activities and social connections, as this may be a sign of anxiety or depression. They can help develop a management plan for you and provide you with support.

Sleep helps support nearly all of the vital functions in your body and can help prevent many chronic conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get 7 to 9 hours of high quality sleep each night.

Many habits can affect the onset, duration, and quality of your sleep, and many people engage in these behaviors without realizing the impact they may have on their sleep.

Several behavioral changes can help improve your sleep, including:

  • limiting caffeine within 8 hours of going to bed
  • limiting food and drinks within 3 hours of going to bed
  • exercising during the day
  • going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day
  • building a nighttime routine, such as showering, stretching, and reading
  • avoiding electronic screens within 1 hour of going to bed
  • using a sleep mask and earplugs to block out light and sounds

The sixth pillar of lifestyle medicine focuses on limiting behaviors that expose you to harmful substances, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and consuming illegal drugs.

For some people, however, avoiding harmful substances is the most challenging lifestyle habit to make because they might have a substance use disorder.

If you regularly smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs, speak with a healthcare professional like a primary care doctor or a mental health specialist. They can help develop an appropriate treatment plan for you and provide you with resources and guidance on where to find group therapy and community support.

The following resources can also provide you with support to make lifestyle changes:

If you have an underlying health condition like diabetes, heart disease, or dementia, a doctor may recommend more tailored lifestyle changes for you.

For instance, you may need to restrict certain forms of physical activity if you have heart disease, while people with diabetes may have to make certain dietary restrictions.

All types of doctors can recommend and help support you as you make lifestyle changes. For many people, the first point of contact is a primary care physician, but other healthcare practitioners that can offer support include:

  • medical specialists
  • mental health doctors
  • nurse practitioners
  • pharmacists
  • registered dietitians
  • certified personal trainers

These individuals can also assist you in locating resources, groups, and support within your community.

Lifestyle changes refer to adopting certain behaviors and daily habits to help improve your physical, mental, and social well-being.

Healthcare professionals have categorized key habits into six pillars, including exercise, diet, stress management, social connection, sleep, and limiting harmful substances.

A healthcare professional can help you identify lifestyle changes to make and provide you with methods, tips, and resources to support you on your journey.