The Habits of Health 1.29.24
Making regular doctor visits is important for keeping track of our bodies' health, but another side of health is becoming center stage in our quest for wellness. Our habits play an important role in how we treat our bodies. The habitual stress response, dysregulated sleep habits, overwhelm, anxiety, and overbooking ourselves impact our ability to fight diseases and maintain longevity and wellness.
Developing a path that changes the way I normally do things (habits) causes stress and anxiety. I want to be well but don’t know how to change so how am I supposed to do that? Habits play an important part in how we get to where we are and can be difficult to change.
Habits are the choices and decisions we make based on preferences. Human beings are emotional and we often make decisions emotionally! It can be tough to modify or change our habits because habits are like being on autopilot. I am a habitual person and have ones that allow me to be the person I want to be and others that take away from that. I created a habit of yoga first thing in the morning and this has allowed me to feel stronger and more flexible. I like this new habit. This habit allows me to move about better and to have more endurance throughout the day. I also have a habit of eating dessert at family functions and this derails my desire to reduce sugar and be mindful of foods that cause inflammation. Changing the habit of eating sugar is difficult for me and so I am less inclined to put time into it.
Habits involve a cue, a routine, and a reward which can be altered if we choose to change a behavior (UNC at Chapel Hill, n.d.). To reduce overwhelm we can start with one thing. Starting small with something achievable allows me to feel success and then I can build on that success. When we can string together success we see change that lasts. This is challenging because we are all busy and have hectic lives but unhooking the autopilot on behaviors we wish to change could improve our wellness.
Ultimately many factors play a part in our lives. Changing negative habits of stress, sleep, time management, and overall anxiety allows us to control what we truly want. This is empowering and leads to a better quality of life.
Want to change a habit?
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With Love
Pam
References
UNC at Chapel Hill. (n.d.). Changing Habits . Learningcenter. https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/changing-habits/.