Shifting to healthier habits is often hard to do. In fact, many of us don’t even think about our health… until something bad happens to us or someone we know. Your family doctor used to be the person who urged you to make healthy changes – telling you it’s time to quit smoking, exercise more or shed a few extra pounds – but, with the health care system today, often they only have time to look after the immediate problem that prompted your visit. You need to take charge of your future health yourself…
So how do you make change happen before a shift in your health happens?
Change in habits occurs in stages. When you’re aware of these stages, sometimes you can move things along and make the change happen faster. Here is how we progress when we try to change, regardless of what new habit we are trying to form (or what bad habit we are trying to break!):
Pre-contemplation – We are blissfully living our lives, not aware that we are doing something that could harm our health in the future or at least not consciously thinking about what we should be doing to be healthier. Life is busy, and sometimes we need something to grab our attention and make us realize we should be changing some habits that are less than ideal for our health. We feel fine. We just aren’t interested. Besides, habits are hard to change. It’s easy to say, “I don't need to do anything right now…I’ll think about it later”.
One of my goals in writing this blog, is to encourage people to think about making changes that will improve their health…and help them live longer and happier lives! Don’t wait for something bad to happen to realize you need to change to improve your health in the future.
Contemplation – Then we face a crisis in our health or a serious illness in someone close to us. This starts us thinking about being healthier. Or maybe we read something or hear a speaker that catches our attention. My husband finally quit smoking years ago after hearing David Suzuki explain that you can’t keep dumping poison (for example, cigarette smoke) into your body for years, then expect to be able to do the things you want to do when you’re older – your body can only handle so much abuse. What he said struck a chord with my hubby and he made up his mind that it was really time to quit.
Think about what you should change that will make a difference in how you feel and what you are able to do in the future? What is one habit you could you improve to increase your chance of staying healthy and active well into old age? What could you change to be able to do more things you enjoy right now?
Preparation – Habits are hard to change. Preparing yourself can help make it easier, and there are strategies to increase the likelihood that you’ll stick to your new way of living.
Find someone who will join you in your new habit. Sign up for a class that will help get you started. Research exactly what you need to do to make the change easier.
For example, if quitting smoking, there are medications like nicotine replacement that can reduce cravings. To increase exercise, choose a convenient time of day then set a recurring alarm on your phone or computer to remind you it’s time for your walk. Want to eat healthier? Sign up for a food delivery service like Hello Fresh or Good Food to make it easier to start cooking better meals. Want a better outlook on life? Sign up for a yoga or meditation class or download an app on your tablet and use it every day. You get the idea…
Action – Pick a date that is not too far in the future. Give yourself a deadline to start. Giving yourself little rewards helps too – challenge yourself to stick to your habit and plan something special on the weekend to celebrate your success. Even something simple like an “X” on each day of a calendar can be encouraging as the X’s add up. Find a way to make yourself committed to change.
Set a date to start your new healthy habit and mark it on your calendar. Tell someone who will join you or support you with your plan and be accountable to them. Track your progress and decide what you will do to celebrate your success! Keep in mind that small rewards given often work better than large ones off in the future.
Maintenance – It’s easy to slip back into old habits or get busy and forget about your plan for a healthier life. But, if you do, remember that if you did it once you can go back and do it again! It takes a while for a new change to become a habit and relapses are normal. So, don’t beat yourself up about it and don’t give up!
Expect slip-ups…they almost always happen. But keep working to make your new healthy habit part of your life. If you practice your healthy change even for 1 day, you can make it a regular activity!
Realize that it takes time to make a habit of a new healthy activity – longer for some than for others. But keep your goal of enjoying life as you get older in mind. Every little change can help. Take time now to decide how you can improve your enjoyment of life in the future by keeping your body and mind healthy and active!
