"I Know I Should ....

Exercise more, eat less sugar, avoid deep fried foods, get more sleep, take more time to relax, stop smoking, get more massages, get adjusted more often, look after myself better."  I hear some version of these statements from my patients on a daily basis.  The conclusion I have to draw is that almost universally people know what they should be doing to be healthier.  But they seem unable to do it.

I was watching a health guru talking to a large group of people.  He was telling them that there were three things each and every person needed to do to be healthier.  As the camera panned across the audience I found myself saying, "He'll do it." "She won't do it."  They aren't going to take his advice."  "That person is right into it."  The people who were going to follow the expert's advise were probably already doing the right things to a very large extent.  The people who were not already on the road to looking after their own health may have been nodding approval but there is only a very slim chance they will actually follow the advice.

We are an educated society.  There are some well known health principals that virtually everyone knows, like getting regular exercise, eating fewer processed foods and more natural foods, getting adequate rest, and practicing good hygiene.  But just because we know these things intellectually doesn't mean we will do them.  There is a great scripture verse that spells out the struggle we face.  "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."  Mt 26:41  This applies to all aspects of our lives not just our spiritual lives.  Sadly most of us know what is right and yet we choose to do what is wrong.

I've observed that people make positive changes in their lives in one of two ways.  The first is to reach a point of crisis and the second is to make small incremental changes.

Alcoholics usually have to reach bottom before they will make the necessary changes.  Sugarholics usually have to have diabetic complications before making lifestyle changes.  The reality is that we all have unhealthy behaviours we are addicted to.  The sooner we acknowlege them, the sooner we can get on the road to becoming truly healthier.  That time of acknowledgement often comes at a time of crisis.  This is not the most pleasant way to be motivated to make changes for better health.

The second way to improve one's health is to make a small step forward today.  Take one thing and make it a part of your lifestyle.  Perhaps it will be to exercise 20 minutes everyday, or eat a more nutritious breakfast, or get more sleep, or see your chiropractor regularly.  When that one thing is a part of you, make another small change.  Over time you will become a healthier person.  Each positive result will help motivate you to make another change. The key to this approach is to make small achievable changes to avoid discouragement.  The changes are not dramatic like when we reach a crisis point, but they can be every bit as effective if we persist.  This is why I continue to pass on tidbits of information that you may find helpful.  Perhaps there will be something I say that will click with you and help you to change without having to reach a crisis point.