Hello and welcome back to the Therapy Spot! Today, in the spirit of setting intentions, I want to talk about how to adjust our habits.
Say that this year, you set the intention to be healthier, stronger, and more active. You envision a routine where you swim twice a week, commit to weight training, and start drinking green smoothies for breakfast. Sounds like a great plan! Unfortunately, you overlooked something critical that might stop your intentions right in their tracks.
What we so often forget is that changing our habits involves two steps:
- Stopping an old behavior
- Replacing it with a new one
In order to be healthy and strong all year long, you will subtract habits, as well as add them. That means you won’t just whip up a nutritious smoothie — you’ll also resist a trip to the drive-through. Furthermore, your weekly swim sessions mean you actively choose the pool over a night on the computer. Since you forgot to factor in the subtraction, your intentions seem out of reach.
We find ourselves performing our new habits erratically, and, feeling discouraged, we stop trying. At this point, many of us stumble. Guess what? That’s okay. You’re not a failure or a loser, you’re just human. We have all been there, especially at this time of year! Join me this week, and let’s help you make those habits your new normal.
I want to spark you into your new habits and help you follow through on all of your intentions for the year. The most important thing to remember is that you don’t have to do this alone! Ultimately, it takes a village to change a habit. I encourage anyone struggling with their habits and intentions to get in touch with me via my Better Relating page on Facebook or by sending me an email at betterrelate@gmail.com. After all, my intention this year is to focus on Connection, and I can’t do that without you!
Image Credit
helping hand“” by Flickr user littlefishyjes, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.