We talk about habits often in our classes. We all have habits, good and bad, especially when it comes to our diet and lifestyle. Why is a bad habit so difficult to change? It is common to struggle to replace those bad habits with good habits. Change is difficult because we don't have the right tools. And... we don't like change.
Our Emotional Eating and Forming & Maintaining Optimal Habits classes help us to look at our state of mind and emotional state. Habits are reward based, and resistance is subconscious. We place our own obstacles in our way without even knowing it. We resist change because we are focusing on what we are giving up instead of what we have to gain.
"For example, we all get a dopamine hit when we eat. That is a survival mechanism. Signals to the brain encourage us to eat. But sometimes eating bad foods makes us feel better and we repeat this behavior because we want that "reward" of feeling better and relieve our anxiety, because what gets rewarded gets repeated. So now a good habit (eating for survival and energy) turns into a habit that is self-destructive." This is the process that produces discouragement. We know what to do but we can't do it.
So how do we start? First, examine what your goals are, keeping in mind that reaching that goal is never a straight line from A to B. Make a decision to change one thing at a time, have a vision, write down what you want to accomplish, examine that goal honestly, formulate a plan (that's where attending classes comes in). Start new. "Starting new is not starting over. Starting over implies returning to where you were. Starting new means stepping into something that has never existed before.: (Graham Cooke) Most importantly, be consistent. James Clear says that "consistency enlarges ability." Imagine that every day that you are consistent in your goal towards a healthier lifestyle, the greater your ability will be to accomplish it. And THIS is what makes you resilient. The definition of resilience is "the ability of a system (or person) to respond to or recover readily from a crisis, disruptive process, etc."
Pam Popper from Wellness Forum Health says it best "If you really want to change your life and your health, the best comparator to use is “optimal.” How do your diet and lifestyle habits compare to habits that are optimal? Two important clarifications are needed here; one is that “optimal” does not mean “perfect” and the other is that optimal habits are defined as those that lead to high quality of life and longevity."
Practicing mental resilience in order to live "optimal" healthy diet and lifestyle is a way to show compassion towards yourself. You will start to learn when your body is saying no to the things that do not serve it in a healthy way. You will start to discover what frustrates and exhausts you and walk away from those things. You will know that you do not need to go beyond your ability. You will start to dig deeper in being intentional on creating the vision of what you want to accomplish.
Liz Fattore
Nurture Your Health
Licensed Food Over Medicine Professional
Wellness Forum Health
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