MindsetRewire.com

Posted By Denise on May 30, 2009

Breaking habits you no longer want can be rather daunting at times. We all have something we would like to change or at least improve upon within our own life. With that being said, we’re always evolving, constantly learning and experiencing new things all the time and thus - making choices.

We have been inundated with so much information regarding unhealthy behaviors. Some of those health behaviors include a majority of adults who are either overweight or obese, 25% to 50% of adults are using tobacco products, and two-thirds of adults are living a sedentary lifestyle in this country alone. Even though many or most adults know these health behaviors and the risks they can carry, unfortunately education alone is not the solution.

Some of the advantages of exercising are better for a higher level of energy, better overall health and an improved body image. Some of the cons of exercising are that exercise does take some time, perhaps you can’t eat out with co-workers and that all around, diets are boring. This is really about deciding whether you want to and are willing to commit to a “lifestyle change.” To at least give it a sincere and honest try for a week to begin with. After that week, re-evaluate it. You may even surprise yourself.

Another type of hurdle you need to overcome is the negative self-talk cycle. Some examples of this is you overeat, then say things to yourself like ”I am a failure, There goes the day, or How could I be so . . .” Then you have feelings like guilt, disgust, frustration, anger, depression, then you would do more overeating. Its an unending cycle until you decide to change it.

Here are some suggestions or strategies I find to be helpful. In fact, some of these can be applied in other areas of your life as well.

• planning positive activities
• positive self-talk
• exercising regularly
• seeking support (friend, family member)

I have found one thing for sure is to set reasonably attainable goals. This is extremely helpful. If you start by taking small steps, that are deliberate and specific, you’ll find yourself encouraged. Planning and having ongoing strategies close at hand to maintain your level of motivation needed to continue and build momentum is essential also. You’ll find you have a higher level of confidence to take on more changes you want to make in other areas of your life as well.

Breaking Habits will be addressed more in a future post.

Category: Healthy Living
Tags: habits, health, weight