Even Good Change is Hard
After I turned 30, I noticed my metabolism had started slowing down. I’m actually quite lucky that it’s taken this long. I now have to do more than just exercise in order to keep my waistline in check. I have to be mindful of the food I eat, the drinks I have, as well as the quantity and time of day I have them. I casually would eat chips and have sodas without thinking how addictive or unhealthy they actually were.
When I started to change my eating habits, an unexpected change in my mood quickly came. I become more irritable and inevitably began to crave the junk I once had allowed myself to carelessly enjoy. I should have known that unpleasant feelings would accompany my change in body chemistry. The feelings became overly dramatic, accompanied by a mild lingering frustration.
I had underestimated how difficult it would be to make a significant lifestyle change. I knew better preparation would be required, as to not relapse into the habits of mindless eating again. That being said, I’m not obese or overweight. However, I wanted to keep my body healthy, not only for the physical aspect, but for the mental aspect. It’s easy to believe that junk isn’t a big deal while we’re enjoying it. It isn’t until we start eating healthy and balanced in which we can feel a world of difference, not only in our mood, but also in mental clarity and functioning.
Change from a bad habit to a good habit requires a process of understanding before moving forward. We first need to address the benefits to be gained from a new, healthy habit. Second, we see through the false “pros” of keeping the old habit. Simply “it feels good” is not a good enough reason to hold onto a bad habit. Third, we need to be patient and make room for alternatives to help past hard cravings. Personally, for overcoming the soda cravings, I enjoy a fruit based drink that contains natural sugars.
Other habits, such as smoking and regular indulgence in alcohol, require a deeper understanding of the psychology behind the addictive behaviors and what causes them. It’s often deeper-rooted issues that lead to addictive habits. It’s usually not enough to simply know that something is bad in order to stop. We easily overlook the “bad’ aspect of a habit because we think there is some benefit.
A goal is best obtained when the right planning is made. Books are amazing resources. If there is something we struggle with, there’s probably someone who’s already fought that battle and succeeded. We would benefit from learning from the trails and errors of others so that we can take the path of least resistance and live well.
For further related reading, please check out: One at a Time.
