A Hell Yes Habit in Hard Times: Keeping Promises to Yourself

In this episode of Hell Yes Habits, Elyse Bushard discusses the importance of building habits that create a fulfilling life. She emphasizes the significance of keeping promises to oneself, especially during challenging times, and shares practical strategies for maintaining habits when life feels overwhelming. The conversation highlights the power of consistency, self-respect, and the impact of small, positive actions on overall well-being.

Takeaways

• Building a community rooted in connection and growth is essential.
• Ditching the 'just fine' mindset opens the door to magic in life.
• Keeping promises to yourself is crucial for self-respect.
• Habits act as anchors during tough times.
• Life will always have challenges; make time for what matters.
• Simplifying habits can lead to better consistency.
• Prioritize habits that resonate with your true self.
• Setting small, achievable goals can boost confidence.
• Grace and consistency are key during hard times.
• Reminding yourself of your 'why' can reignite motivation.

Transcript

Elyse Bushard (00:00)
Hello, hello, and welcome back to Helly Ass Habits. I'm just gonna paint a picture for you here on how crazy my life has been, as I'm sure everyone else has been recently. Let's see, I don't even know where to start here. I'm sitting on my bed, as per usual, where I record these for you.

And it's Friday and I'm supposed to launch an episode, you know every Friday to be consistent here and I'm recording it and then gonna launch it and it's already at 2 42 p.m Mountain Standard Time, so I Yeah, but like I mean I don't do this podcast to make money off of it at least right now I mean I would be open to it in the future, of course, but like I do it like

because it helps me work through things. But more than that, I wanna build this hell yes habit community. And so I'm so thankful for you guys, first of all, for tuning in. This is episode five. And I'm just gonna speak to you in real time, because I also want this podcast to be like helpful with real examples that I'm going through right now. And...

what's important to me right now when life throws you curveballs and just hard times. Life can be hard sometimes and I'm not going to sugar coat this. Like I've been through a lot this week. Up and down roller coasters. I've been really busy at work and to compound it all like it's just been hard and I'm sure a bunch of you can relate like this time of year can be crazy and

I mean, today's topic though is what I want to focus on and what I want to focus on in bullet points for myself so I don't go off on tangents here. And you can follow is that it's all about keeping promises to yourself, especially when life feels overwhelming, messy, or just plain hard. I want to focus on just like the

in the thick of it because I've had a hard week and to be fully transparent with you, this week I have let my habits slip sometimes. But what I have stuck to that's made a huge difference is keeping promises to myself. So sticking to things like this podcast for instance, this is a great example, I could have been like, it's okay, barely anyone listens to this.

But I made a promise to stay consistent with this because I want this community to grow and I want to be there for you and I want this to be something where I'm taking you along for the ride of the ups and downs of my own life and when it's overwhelming and messy or just playing hard in keeping promises to yourself is so important in those moments because

It's in those moments that sticking to your habits, it just makes the biggest difference. Or sticking to things that you said like, I'm gonna do this before the end of the week. I listened to this, and this will not be the first time I mention this, but I listened to this app and have this app on my phone called Growth Day. And it is like morning motivation. I listen to it while I'm getting ready.

or sometimes if I have a little bit more time and I get up early, your girl loves her sleep. So it's rare, but sometimes I can sit before work and before diving into my phone and I listen to personal growth and personal development on this app and I journal digitally on the app. so that every morning, I have kept that promise to myself every morning. I wanna say for over a year now,

and they have what's called daily fires and Brenda Bouchard is one who runs it. No, he's not related to me. It's like Brewshard, not Bushard like my name. It's very similar though. But now that I've gone off on a tangent in that I have kept that promise to myself because I know it makes a big difference. It makes me feel good. And so we're just gonna dive in and talk about why

keeping promises to yourself matters, and then how to stay consistent even when life feels heavy and hard, even when life is crazy around the holidays, getting into the new year. And then I'm gonna give you just some examples other than the one that I already have said that can help you feel grounded and capable. So let's dive into first why keeping promises to yourself matters.

And essentially just breaking it down is keeping promises to yourself is a form of self respect. I'm going to repeat that again. Keeping promises to yourself is a form of self respect. If you can't count on yourself, let's be honest, it chips away at your confidence and trust in your own abilities to carry through with something. So when I make a simple promise to myself, like I'm going to listen to a personal development app.

or I'm gonna record this podcast for instance, it chips away, like if I don't keep those promises, it chips away at my own confidence. And habits are literally the foundation for how I show up in life, how you show up in life. When things are tough, habits that make you feel good can act as anchors and keep you steady. So,

anything that it's crazy to me that like it's taken 37 years on this planet for me to realize that when I'm going through a hardship sitting on the couch and doing nothing it literally makes me feel worse and so I and it's such common sense right it's it's easy to think like I'll get back to this when life is easier but if you think about it

Life is never going to be perfect. It's never going to be easy. There will always be something going on. That's why I think it's funny when people say, I don't have the time. I'll try that next year when I have time. You're never going to have time unless you make time for the things that matter to you and the things that make you feel good. So by sticking to your habits during those tough times, you prove to yourself that you're capable.

resilient and worthy of care, no matter what's happening around you. And so you're like, Ilya is great. Like that's, I understand that. Like that's great. But how can I do that when life is hard and all I want to do is curl up under the covers and wait for the storm to pass? And it's not easy, right? I'm not gonna sit here and be like,

This is easy. Like, I've been going through it this week and I and I've noticed myself that when I'm not sticking to habits and when I get derailed of things that have made me feel good, even when I'm happy that I get rid of when I'm sad, that doesn't make sense. So the main three things that I'm going to focus on here are actually have five things again.

You're with me on this ride. Five things, how, answering the question exactly, like how to stick to your habits when life is hard. So basically, number one, let's simplify our habits. If you're used to being, for example, let's just simplify it. We don't have to do this grand thing, like when we're going through a rough thing, maybe you can cut a habit that makes you feel good in half.

or just do a little bit less, but you're doing something. So like if you're used to a big morning routine, for instance, but life feels overwhelming, scale it back to the essentials. instead of doing a 30 minute workout, do five minutes of stretching and focusing on the minimum dose of something.

It's still something that will make you feel 1 % better, but it doesn't feel like this like huge effort. So it's not like an all or nothing. Like I do a 30 minute workout or I don't, it's I do five minutes of stretching that day. And I guarantee you'll feel 1 % better or even 0.5 % better. So that's number one, simplify your habits. Number two, prioritize the habits that make you feel good.

I'll say this again and again, these are hell yes habits. This is what we're about here. So ask yourself which habit makes me feel the most like me.

Let me repeat that. habit helps me feel the most like me? And that's your non-negotiable habit that you do even when life is dragging you down, weighing you down, you do that. So whether it be listen to five minutes of a podcast that you like, whether it be take a 10 minute walk outside to get some fresh air.

or journaling. Like if journaling helps clear your mind or a quick walk boosts your mood, like I said, make those a priority. So that's number two, prioritize the habits that make you feel good, the hell yes habits. Number three, set a win, win the day goal. And what I mean by that is pick one habit you know you can accomplish no matter how small. And it might be like drinking a glass of water,

When you wake up or writing one gratitude in a notebook once again, these are things that work for me, but Find something that works for you and feels good for you And you know you can check that off in your mind and it makes you feel good in times of hard number four Give yourself grace, but stay consistent so life happens

Like I said, and perfection isn't the goal. It's about progress. So feeling that 1 % better. If you miss a day, don't beat yourself out. If you miss a workout, if you miss drinking, meeting your water goal for the day that you set, just get back to it the next day and you'll feel good. But don't harp on that. Give yourself grace in times of hard, too. It's very easy. We are ourselves worst critics.

Just give yourself grace and then stay consistent. Be like, tomorrow's another day. I can do it tomorrow. Don't keep pushing it off. We still want consistency, but don't harp on the fact of things you can't change. You can't go back in time. You can only go forward in time. And number five, remind yourself of your why. Now, I'm sure you're like, Elise, what the hell is your why?

Basically, it's to break it down. is asking yourself, why did you start this habit in the first place? Whether it's to feel healthier, calmer, or more confident, reconnect with that bigger purpose, that why. And again, that's different for everyone. That's gonna be different than it is for me and you.

If you remind yourself of that, it will push you to do that. So let me recap how to stick to your habits when life gets hard. Number one, simplify your habits. Number two, prioritize the habits that make you feel good. Your hell yes habits. Number three, set a win for the day or win the day goal. And

Pick that habit that you know you can accomplish that's an easy win. Number four, give yourself grace. You can't go back in time. You can only go forward. And number five, remind yourself of your why. Your purpose that, like reconnect to it. Whether you have to write it down and put it on your mirror or whether you have to just say it to yourself in your head or if you work from home like me, you can say it out loud and you only sound crazy to yourself.

now that we have those like five ways you stick to your habits when life is hard.

I want to give you some examples of things that I've used this week when things are hard, things that I use other than the ones that I've already said. And remember, this isn't a guidebook. This is literally a pick one that you gravitate towards and can use as a tool in your toolbox. So not all habits are created equal during tough times. So here's a few hell yes habits.

that can help other than growth day app. I will stand by this app forever. I have been listening to it, like I said, consistently for over a year. It literally is one of the best things. So if you're ever interested in that, will put just let me know and I will get you a link to download it. There's a seven day free trial done with my plug. But

Morning sunlight or fresh air, helps reset your mood and your energy. A gratitude practice, so take just a few minutes a day to either write down or just think of three things you're grateful for. It shifts your mindset even in times of hard movement. I'm not talking about a like hardcore workout. It could be stretching. It could literally be walking. You could combine walking outside and fresh air and

get those done at the same time. Breathing. I never realized how important breathing is. We all breathe, but intentional breathing, where you're able to slow down your nervous system and calm down your mind and just focus on breathing, even if it's for 30 seconds. And then number five, connecting with a friend or a loved one, either via text, calling them,

I've been really loving voice notes to some of my friends and even family members where I will just send if I'm thinking of them just a quick like back and forth. And that way it gives just a more personal vibe and you get to hear their voice. And that's basically because our lives are crazy and I don't get to see all the people I love as much as I want to. So that's another.

habit that you can do and maybe even connect and vent to someone else in hard times because I don't know about you but when I'm going through a hard time I used to just habitually hold everything in and think I have to deal with it all by myself and what I didn't realize is that people don't know what you don't tell them. I think I'm gonna make an entire episode on that because that's been coming up all year for me and different instances but

They don't know when you're suffering and you need support. And what you also don't know is by holding it in, you think you're alone in this. When there's so many other people in the world or in your friend circle or family that could relate to this but haven't opened up about it. And just the simple thing of sharing something and connecting with a friend or a loved one, it can just remind you that you're not alone, which just is like a release.

And usually when I start talking about something, I feel better. When I say it out loud to people in my life, I feel better. And so that is definitely something that I'm still working on, but I am aware that I do. And again, people don't know what you don't tell them.

In closing, I just want to say that tough seasons don't last forever. But the way you show up for yourself during them and the promises you keep to yourself matters so much in those hard times when life gets heavy. Showing up and keeping promises to yourself no matter how little or big the promise is, it makes so much of a difference.

And by keeping those promises to yourself and sticking to habits that make you feel good, you're proving that you're worth the effort, even when it's hard. It's like a deposit into your piggy bank of confidence.

and that you can pull from later on, it'll make you feel good. But remember that habits don't have to be big to be powerful. And consistency beats perfection every time. It's about progress and consistency. It is not about everything being perfect because let's face it, I think we all can agree that life is not perfect.

Life is not perfect and you can only control what you can control. So yeah, if this episode resonated with you, please let me know. Again, I just do this for you guys. I do this in myself and I wanna build this hell yes habit community. if also if it resonated, share it with a friend who might need this reminder this time of year.

To take care of themselves share the link wherever you listen to podcasts And if you're looking for more tools and habits That stick Let me know and we can check out or looking for personal development to listen to let me know and I can send you the link to growth day my favorite personal development app But thanks for listening to hell yes habits overall and until next time keep

showing up for yourself because you're worth it.