How to Restart Habits After You’ve Fallen Off (Without Shame)
By February, most habits have already unraveled.
Not because we didn’t care.
Not because we weren’t disciplined enough.
But because life showed up.
For me, that lesson came early—and hard.
In 2020, I got sick with long COVID. My body changed quickly. My energy disappeared. The routines I relied on simply stopped working.
I didn’t just fall off habits.
I lost the ability to keep them the way I used to.
And that forced me to learn something I never truly understood before:
Habits have to meet you where you are—or they won’t last.
Falling Off Is Information, Not Failure
When a habit stops working, it’s tempting to assume we are the problem.
But often, the habit was built for a version of you that no longer exists.
When my health shifted, I had to stop asking:
“Why can’t I do this anymore?”
And start asking:
“What does support look like now?”
That question changes everything.
Restart With the Smallest Version That Still Helps
I stopped trying to finish big projects. Instead, I focused on finishing small ones—when my body allowed.
Small doesn’t mean pointless.
Small means sustainable.
- Ten minutes of tidying instead of a full clean
- One drawer instead of an entire room
- Cooking once, but eating multiple times
- Resting without turning it into a failure
Those routines didn’t look impressive. But over time, they added up.
My home became calmer.
My days became more manageable.
And I stopped fighting my body just to prove something.
February Is About Maintenance, Not Motivation
By now, the “new year” energy has faded.
That’s not a bad thing.
February is a check-in:
- What’s still helping?
- What feels too heavy?
- What can be softened instead of abandoned?
This month, try this simple reset (no overhaul required):
- Keep one habit exactly as it is
- Adjust one habit to make it easier
- Release one habit that no longer fits
That’s not quitting.
That’s adapting.
A Valentine’s Day Reframe
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, care can start to feel performative.
But one of the simplest ways to invest in yourself—and someone else—is learning to make a small batch meal.
One dish.
Made once.
Enjoyed a few times.
It might be dinner together. Or lunch the next day. Or something nourishing waiting when energy is low.
That’s not laziness.
That’s sustainability.
A habit that feeds you more than once is a habit worth keeping.
One Rule I Live By Now
This is the question I come back to, over and over:
Does this make my life calmer?
If a habit adds pressure, guilt, or exhaustion—it needs adjusting.
If it adds ease, even quietly—it’s doing its job.
You don’t need to restart everything.
You don’t need to catch up.
You don’t need to become someone else.
You just need habits that respect the body and life you have now.
And you’re allowed to restart as many times as it takes.
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