Overcoming Barriers: How to Choose Health Every Day
As the seasons change and we move in to Autumn I wanted to do a post about Meta Cognition or Thinking and about Thinking or KIST. (Kind Inner Self Talk)
We all want better health right? More of this or that and yet we struggle with making change even when we know that the shift or change would be good for us. I see this in practice all the time. Along with Functional Lab testing, Functional Muscle Testing, Diet, Lifestyle and Supplement protocols etc, much of the work I do in clinic is motivational and encouraging a positive mindset around making small consistent changes to support a healthier quality of life.
One of my patients is a sweet teenager and her reactions plus my time in Italy are the motivation for this weeks post. When she came into to see me I asked her if she could increase something a very small amount. A small task right..?. I could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought about how it would affect her life and she said to me ” I can’t”. She didn’t see the ways she could. It was a very quick I can’t.
I can’t …Why is that?
Here is one theory that appears to be a common thread that could be a reason that we struggle with making change even when we know it would be good for us. It is also the reason why we don’t do anything at all.
The theory is that we build internal walls over a lifetime to keep sadness, micro or macro traumas or overwhelming forces at bay. We do that stone by stone and before we know it we have built a barrier. A barrier that we think will protect us from future harm instead that barrier actually gets in our way. It is rigid, high, and can be overwhelming to even think about taking it down … That barrier of all the things drives our feelings and emotions which then drive our choices… and yep our overall health and wellbeing. Some might view this behavior as controlling but deep down it is worry and fear driven.
The other thing to consider is that change disrupts the current flow and or we get attached to our habits even if they do not serve us.
How to Choose Health Versus I Can’t
Mindset
When an opportunity to changes is presented even if it is good for us we think ” I can’t” instead of thinking hmmm… let me see and being creative, curious and thinking “how can I do that” Or “what is the best way to fit this into my life” Or Why not because what I am doing isn’t working that well?
I recently listen to podcast (Huberman) where he interviewed a woman called Martha Beck. She posed the idea that we should all adopt called K.I.S.T. Kind Internal Self Talk. I have my hand up to do better at this. Interesting that we as humans always need constant appreciation in order to feel good about ourselves our work, our parenting etc etc….
How to Choose Health Versus I Can’t
Food/Diet
The Food Police and social pressure when you are choosing to make a healthy diet change can be challenging, Instead of thinking and saying I can’t have this or that or shouldn’t have this or that how about thinking and saying to yourself I am choosing my health and saying no thank you even if you have to say it three times. This hapens to me all the time…. the saying no to friends. The opposite of this idea means that you also don’t comment on what other people are choosing to eat.
How to Choose Health Versus I Can’t
Time, Patience and Gratitude
We have seen and had remarkable healthy changes in clinic over the years. Sometimes it happens in a relatively short time and other times depending on how big the wall is, it can take a minute. The most sustainable way I have seen work is when a patient offers trust in me and chooses small consistently good for them steps everyday.
A long and healthy life means that you do the basics/the fundamentals everyday. If you miss a day then, OK, jump back to it the next day.
Modern Tech is amazing at providing us with tools to access all the things, however what we have seen is that Low Fi (organic basic human things work the best over time). Think Blue Zones… watch on Netflix if you haven’t already. Environment is a running theme between these areas where health and longevity thrive.
- Movement
- Sleep
- Water
- Clean unprocessed food in a good balance prepared at home everyday.
- Peace and Joy
- Purpose and Gratitude
- Love and Family
How to Choose Health Versus I Can’t
This quote from James Clear: Author of Atomic Habits
“Many people view their habits and routines as obstacles or, at the very least, obligations to get through. Making the morning coffee, driving your kids to the next activity, preparing the next meal—we often see our routines as chores to be completed.
But these are not moments to be dismissed. They are life. Making coffee can be a peaceful ritual—perhaps even a fulfilling one—if done with care rather than rushed to completion. It’s about the amount of attention you devote to these simple moments, and whether you choose to appreciate them or bulldoze through them on the way to the next task.
Find the beauty and joy in your daily rituals and you will find beauty and joy in your daily life. To love your habits is to love your days, and to love your days is to love your life.”
I hope you enjoyed my mindfulness post today?
I am looking forward to some exciting projects coming up and some cooler weather!
Have a Healthy Week and as always I am here to serve. I have a few spots left in late September if you would like to see me in person.
Dr Pia
