Making (Health) Changes Stick - Part 2: Pitfalls and what to do about them
How to stick to your health goals and achieve the health benefits you desire
Whether you are making diet changes, wanting to making healthier choices or breaking a lifestyle habit that is no longer serving you. The road will twist and turn and there may even be times you want to stop.
Here in Part 2: Pitfalls and what to do about them - we talk about some of the biggest pitfalls I see and what you can do to set yourself up for the best opportunity for success.
Quick recap of Part 1: Understanding the challenges of making change for improved health - I take you through some of the challenges to achieving you health goals.
Part 2: Pitfalls and what to do about them
Some of the pitfalls I see and what to do about them:
1. Underestimating the time it will take to get the result
There an old adage in the Naturopathic space that goes something like: For every year the health issue has been around and bubbling under the surface, it will take that number of months to work back from it. I don’t know where this first come from (If you do, let me know and I will credit it) and it certainly is not a predictive rule but it highlights that healing takes time, a lot more time than you probably think it should and definitely longer than you want it to.
2. Not recognising or appreciating the small improvements and progress made before you have reached the goal.
Often on health journeys there are layers and incremental changes that happen, small and slow but there moving you forward, and when looking at yourself, this can be impossible to see. In the mean time you are there thinking nothing is happening and that it is all for nothing and get disheartened, lose momentum and gusto and maybe even give up.
Breaking up the big goal into the little milestones along the way is a fantastic way to keep from becoming overwhelmed, disheartened and keeping visible the progress you ARE making and giving you opportunities to acknowledge and celebrate the little wins.
3. Not having a plan
It doesn’t have to grand or even written down, but it does require thinking about all the autopilot habits and the little things that will also need to be adjusted. Not all at once though.
I am a big believe in progress not perfection, small incremental change. Start with one or two things that feel easy to do right now and layer it from, there are no prizes for trying it all at once, especially if it falls over because it was all too much and too hard.
Plan for how the change will fit into your day or week. Maybe you are taking home cooked leftovers in for lunch rather than having dumplings from the local cafe. But what happens that one day you forget lunch? Consider what options you have and select one that is still aligned/ most aligned to your goal.
Also, if this is you every day... Maybe the plan is for you to set a reoccurring reminder in your phone to pack lunch, that goes off EVERY DAY.
It is said that 95% of our day is run by the subconscious mind, so there are a lot of things we do without "thinking", planning can help keep you from slipping into 'old habits' that keep you stuck.
Side note: shit happens, maybe you drop your glass lunch container of home made organic beef meatballs, on the stairs and it shatters. The one you were proud of and really looking forward to… take a deep breath, have the dumping's if you have to and let go of any guilt, shame or pressure about it.
4. Being surprised by the inevitable challenges along the journey
I don’t believe anyone really expects an easy journey, but somehow when the road gets rocky it can be enough to through you off the path. This is where again the power of a plan comes in. For example, if your goal is weight loss/ building muscle, decide how many days a week you will exercise. Set this in your mind and, particularly in the beginning, have a 'back up', if one day the alarm goes off and you just cannot get out of bed, have a plan for how to keep that commitment of moving/ exercise, maybe you go for a walk instead of a gym session, then when you do it, it has the added benefit of proving (to yourself) that you can keep the promise and get it done.
5. Stopping if things go wrong
Expect for things to go wrong, expect to 'fall of bandwagon', approach the process with curiosity and a willingness to stuff it up and give it another shot. Every time.
Every day is a new opportunity, every meal is a new opportunity, when you are able to view the mess ups or the times you do not act in alignment with the new goal, with gentle curiosity, chances are you will learn something new about yourself and perhaps why the thing didn’t happen as desired, and from there you get to do something differently and find what does works for you. Think of it like an iterative process, each day you get to try something new and see how it feels and adjust as needed.
There is no limit on how many times you can try again and it will get easier, especially when you are paying attention to yourself!
6. Doing it alone
No, I am not the only person who can help you achieve your goals, but I can; and I will touch on that a little later.
For those who share their life, space and meals with other humans:
When working on health goals, diet and lifestyle changes are often required, so when that impacts others this can be overwhelming and sometimes really bloody hard. Communicating what you are working on, why and what that will look like (for them too) is really important, but it is also critical to have considered how you will move forward, even if the other people wont be joining you. Approaching the task from this angle can relieve the pressure should they decline to help or be part of the change, it also takes the pressure off them and also allows everyone to have autonomy over their own bodies. Also coming back to progress not perfection (think the 80/20 rule) there are likely traditions or beloved shared time e.g. family time, takeaway night, Friday night ice cream etc that nourish your soul and that you want to keep. Let the people in your life know if you plan to keep them. There is also value that planning can bring here too, e.g. takeaway, spend a little more time studying the options in your area, get to know the menus to find the more aligned choice or order an extra side of veggies and salad. Maybe this means you even get different takeaway than the rest of the family. That’s ok too. If ice cream is your thing, again look for options that are aligned, or maybe choose the smallest tub size, so when its gone, its gone etc. Again planning for the win!
For those who have a lot of their own space and have complete creative control over their meals
Maybe you find it easy to let things slide because well, who would know?!
Having someone you can chat to about your goal and check in with can keep you on track, but also someone you can celebrate the big and just as importantly, the little wins, is going to be super valuable.
...Just consider who you choose to be that person, choose someone who is in your corner and someone that can lift you up, rather then bring you down and make you feel less than.
And, across the board, some people really thrive off accountability, the kind that comes from publicly sharing their goals, so if this is you, perhaps tell your family and friends, or other way that feels meaningful to you.
Lastly, not doing it alone looks like having someone like myself, in your corner, keeping you on track and accountable and helping work on your specific goals and challenges to smooth out those bumps in the road before you hit the big pot holes!