5 Habits All Moms Should Adopt in the New Year

It may be hard to make a change but once you do something consistently enough, it becomes a habit, and while there are quite a few bad habits to break, we can't forget a few good habits to make. How do you make something a habit? Schedule it in — set your alarm — get a support system of friends or loved ones — and hold yourself accountable. Most importantly, consistency is key: doing your daily or weekly habit in the same time and or way, each day or week. And let's simply call them habits and not resolutions as resolutions are easy to lose steam, but if you do something enough it will stick and be part of your routine in no time! Here are a few good habits for you to make in the New Year.

Love knitting or painting? Invest in one consistent day a week to devote to your hobby. If you can do it every day that would be amazing, but start low and be consistent. Pick one day and hour to devote to your hobby above all things. Notify the kiddos and your partner if you have one that unless it's an emergency, it's "Mommy's painting hour" or what have you for you to devote to yourself and only yourself. Sound selfish to you? Good! One hour a week for you to invest in you as a person makes you happier and a better mother. If that's what being "selfish" accomplishes, is it really all that bad? I think not.

This isn't a judgment call. I love me some Facebook and Instagram time! Enjoy your social media and tweet away, but take a break. Why? Because I find that when moms are highly keyed into social, they're harder on themselves, comparing everything from their parenting to their marriages to the parenting and marriages of other moms, and it's not healthy for anyone involved. Plus let's be frank here: real life is better than an Instagram post. And if you're absolutely addicted to social, make this habit instead: take one social media friend who you're not incredibly close to in real life, and attempt to get to know him or her better. It's wonderful when a digital friend becomes a forever friend!

Ask a mom out on a playdate or girls' night out! Make the habit of reaching out to new mothers you see either at activities or at school, and attempt to make a friendship. We need each other in this crazy digital world ladies. Making new friends can be hard, yes, but it's also wonderful when we build our support system.

You should love and accept your body at all ages and stages, but if you've been dying to finally kick those five pounds and it means something to you, go for it! What's stopping you? Commit to the gym or yoga. Commit to fresher foods and less snacks. Do it for you — not your partner — and be excited when Summer rolls around.

Again, accepting who you are is the most important thing so to this habit, add in a healthy whopping dose of self-love. There's never enough of that going around in the women I meet every day. Pat yourself on the back and tell yourself, "Hey, I'm beautiful!"

Drop the laundry or dishes and run to play with your kids more! Set aside anywhere from one to three hours to simply play. Ignore all household chores. Childhood is short. Enjoy it while they want your time and attention and play one more round of Bingo instead of folding the socks. Eventually, everything gets done. Make 2016 the year you take a pause for play!

For me this year, I have many habits to make and a few to break. As you're getting into some of the new habits I suggested, what are the habits that have become harmful to you or destructive? What are the ones that bog you down in negative thinking and emotions? For me, it's having the same old same fight with an individual that brings me down. I want to learn how to avoid these scenarios and diffuse tension before it's started. I personally want to take more time to pause for play, and I could use a big dose of self-love this year instead of self-doubt. No matter what battles and rewards 2016 has for you, make it a fabulous year and don't let 2015 hit you on the way out!