Why Making Healthy Changes Feels So Hard (and How to Break Through)

You know what you need to do to feel better. So why does it feel impossible to actually do it? The problem isn’t you—it’s the way change is designed to work against you.

Go to any Instagram or Facebook feed, or even read the news, and you will be bombarded by messages from various health experts: “diet and exercise are so important for your health!”, “eat more fiber and protein!”, “don’t eat processed food, sugar and carbs!”. Newsflash: most people know that if they just ate cleaner, moved more and stressed less, they would feel 1000% better and have a ton more energy. Then why aren’t we doing these things?

The answer is not that complicated. There is a reason changing your health habits is hard. Our brains are hardwired to maintain equilibrium, which means changing nothing and sticking to the familiar comfort of what you already know, even if those things are not working for you. In order to make changes and stick to them, we must come up with tricks that go around this limitation, and use our higher order thinking rather than our primitive brain. Give these a try!

Have a strong why

If you don’t have a powerful reason for making a change, those chocolate chip cookies will always be stronger than your (limited) willpower! It helps if your why goes beyond the superficial (to lose 20 lbs by summer is a great goal, but not strong enough) and is rooted in your deep beliefs about what is important to you and your values.?

Create an anchoring thought

Building on the previous point, and my favorite trick to use with clients, is to come up with an anchoring thought, which is just a statement of your intent together with your why, which you can keep in a handy place and refer to often when your resolve is wavering. Here’s an example of an anchoring thought: “I will not have a glass of wine after dinner, because I sleep much better if I don’t drink alcohol too close to bedtime and I will wake up rested and full of energy tomorrow after a good night’s sleep.” Write your anchoring thought on a post it and put it on your fridge, your computer monitor, your bedside table - anywhere where you are likely to see it often.

Plan, plan, plan

When my client is working on a change, no matter how small, we plan everything out down to the smallest detail. A commitment to go to the gym 3 times next week requires a multitude of decisions ahead of time in order to succeed - which days of the week will you go and what time? How will you get there? What will you do at the gym? What will you wear? What logistics need to be in place for you to actually go? What can get in the way?

Use your environment

Your environment can be a powerful ally when it comes to creating new healthy habits, but it can also sabotage your progress (if you ever had your husband bring home a pizza while you are making dinner, you know what I am talking about).? What are some ways you can use your surroundings, as well as people in your life, to help you achieve your goals?

Come up with options?

When it comes to health, there are countless ways to get to your desired goal. Want to eat more fiber? There are plenty of options to choose from in the produce aisle as well as many different ways of preparing them. Don’t like running? Try cycling or yoga instead. In need of some stress relief but hate meditation? Try going for a mindful walk in a nearby park. Healthy habits that are enjoyable and make you want to actually do them are much easier to stick to.

Have a backup plan

Last but not least, consider what might get in the way of your commitment and plan for it. How else might you fit in a lunchtime workout if your boss calls for an emergency meeting? Maybe the answer is to go for a 20 minute walk around your office building instead, rather than abandoning the entire plan.

I hope some of these tips and tricks will come in handy when you are working on new health habits or changing existing ones that are not working. Remember, our brain just wants us to be comfortable and safe - which often means jeopardizing our best intentions - so we must use every resource at our disposal to help us achieve those health goals.

Have a great week!

Natalie

P.S. I have 2 spaces for a February start in my 1:1 coaching program. If you are interested in working one of one with me, you can get started by clicking the link below:

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