In counseling many different people over several years, I have noticed certain consistencies in how most people consider changes that impact their health. Change is an interesting topic. How many times have you thought, or even said out loud "I know what I need to do, I just don't do it"?
Let's see if we can start to understand why....
First, change is hard. Humans don't really like it very much, even though we know it happens and we live in a world of constant change. We tend to be creatures of habit, we like what we like and we don't really like being asked to do something different.
Second, we always assess the payback equation. What I mean by that is, in order to agree to change something, we want to know what we get out of it. What is the "reward" I get, for experiencing the discomfort that comes along with changing something? And it stands to reason, the more discomfort you might experience, the higher the reward you would expect, right?
Lastly, it turns out that eating our absolute favorite foods, is a highly valued habit that we hold most dear. It brings us happiness! Happiness in this crazy world is a prize to be held on to tightly! Unfortunately, it seems we are biologically pre-programed to adore salty, fatty and sweet foods. In other words, I've never met a person yet who has made themselves sick on broccoli....but plenty of people who make their bodies sick all the time by eating too much bacon, cheese, ice cream, fried foods and sweets.
So the challenge to you today is....what is your Health worth to you? If you could make some small changes, like reducing the amount of something you eat or swapping it for a similar but slightly healthier food, might that be worth it?
Do you think you'd be open to at least having that conversation? Because I bet we could come up with a plan together that would make the change easier and the payback equation work for you. Remember, we are not seeking perfection, we are just seeking balance and improving your overall health!
If this resonates with you, let me know! I can help!
