Many of us struggle with "bad habits" that put us in a bad state of health.  Sometimes it's hard to get up early to workout, and we end up sleeping in more often than we should.  Or after a long workday, we just want to sit down and relax, investing our time in bad TV and a glass or two of wine, or snacking on unhealthy foods.   We end up putting on unwanted weight, or feeling stiff and tight, or a variety of other physical ailments.  The end result of these habits is that we just don't feel as good as we could if we were healthier. 

Put simply: our bad habits lead to us feeling bad, physically and emotionally.

We know that.  We all know that.  But what makes some of us better than others at sticking to good habits or avoiding habits is how well we are aware of the connection between the certain habits and the consequent feelings.  So, if you are aware of your bad habits, if you let them affect your behavior, you can develop a better cognitive awareness of the connection between the bad habits and feeling bad.  How? Three simple steps.

1) Ask yourself, "why do I keep this habit?".  (answer that question)
2) Second, ask yourself, "does that habit make me healthier?".  If your answer is "no", then you've developed your awareness of a unhealthy, bad habit. 
3) The final step: come up with a healthy, specific and realistic action to replace the bad habit. 

Here are a few examples of the three steps in action:

Example 1:
Why do I like to buy an unhealthy lunch everyday?  Because I'm lazy and don't want to make lunch at home.
Does it make me healthier?  No.
Why don't I make an easy, delicious healthy lunch at home?  That's doable.  I'll try making a sandwich a few days a week to start.

Example 2:
Why do I have a couple of glasses of wine every night?  I like wine, it helps me decompress after a long day. 
Does it make me healthier?  HA! No.
Why don't I have one glass every other night instead?  I can do that.  I still get to enjoy wine, but in moderation.

Example 3:
Why do I snack on chips and gummy bears at work?  Because I get hungry after breakfast and there are no good snacks at work.
Does it make me healthier? No.
Why don't I bring fruits and veggies for snacks every day?  Easy enough.  I love fall apples and baby carrots!


You can go through the three steps for any habit.  After two weeks of putting into practice your healthier habits, you can still ask yourself the three questions about remnants of old bad habits.

Example 1, Part B:
Why do I still eat unhealthy lunches a couple days a week?  Because I like Chipotle's chicken burritos.
Does it make me healthier?  No.
Why don't I make lunch for work every day?  Sure. I'm used to doing it a few days a week.  I can eat lunch out on special occasions.

So find a habit that is unhealthy for you - for the short term or long term - and run it through the three steps.  You'll be surprised how easy it is to make a change in no time.
If you have trouble turning a bad habit around, let us know!  We'd be happy to talk with you about it, complimentary.  You can reach us 415.828.2440.
 


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