‘IT’S SO EASY TO SLIP INTO BAD HABITS’: AT 42, SARA DAVIES SWEARS BY ONE EASY RULE TO GET BACK ON TRACK AFTER A HOLIDAY

We’ve all been there. The summer nights when another glass of rose just feels right. When lolling by the pool is less luxury, more hard-earned right. When a second helping of calamari calls. Holidays are very definitely NOT the time to deny yourself. But what happens when the habits you’ve acquired travel back home with you in your hand luggage?

‘What starts as the odd glass of wine here and there and a bit of chocolate can quickly become a habit,’ said Sara Davies in a recent LinkedIn post. ‘So what?’ you might be asking. The mental health benefits of a break are, frankly, every bit as important as your physical health goals. But normal life must resume – however much we wish otherwise.

‘The catalyst for me was coming back from holiday a few weeks ago and thinking, enough is enough…’ says Sara. So how do you kick-start the habit back into action?

Accountability – why it matters

‘For me, it’s all about accountability,’ says Sara. ‘I know what I need to do to eat well and train consistently. What I need is someone at the other end helping to keep me on track and gently steering me back in the right direction whenever I start to drift.’

It sounds simple, but the impact can be profound. US research from 2024 looked at gym attendance and found that going with a friend – even with the hurdles of coordinating two schedules – increased visits by 35%.

‘Despite adding the friction of working with another person, we saw people becoming more motivated and more likely to go,’ lead researcher Rachel Gershon said. ‘This illuminates how social incentives, which aren’t always taken into consideration, can help people overcome other barriers that stand in their way.’

When people buddied up to go to the gym, she found, both parties visited more frequently, but the impact for the friend who exercised less was even greater. ‘We can all do it, but having the right support around us makes all the difference,’ says Sara.

The two types of accountability

‘Our study identifies two types of accountability,’ Gershon said.

First: ‘People feel responsible to their friends, as they want them to get the reward.’ In other words, having an accountability buddy works because you don’t want to let your friend down.

The other – slightly more self-involved – reason that it binds you to your commitment is this: ‘People may also have reputational concerns that their friends would think less of them if they didn’t follow through.’ In other words, you’d be too embarrassed to give up.

How to put it into practice

Just telling someone about your new goal helps. One US study found that you have a 65% chance of completing a goal if you simply tell someone else you’re committing to doing it. Want to up your chances of sticking it out further still?

If you have specific check-ins with a partner, the study found, your chance of success increases to 95%.

Finally, make sure you pick the right partner – someone who won’t judge but will cheer you on. ‘Find your tribe,’ says Sara. ‘Surround yourself with people who encourage you, keep you accountable and remind you to stick with it when motivation fades. Make good choices where you can, and don’t be afraid to prioritise yourself when you need to.’

2026-08-04T06:07:29Z