The Power of Habit

So you made up your mind to make a healthy behavior change.  You've done the research.  You've weighed the pros and cons.  You've prepared ahead of time and are ready to face any challenges that come your way. 

And hot damn!  You make the change.  You're sticking to it.  You're changing.....and even better, this time it's going to last and you feel great about it!

And then something happens.  Slowly but surely your old behaviors start creeping back up and your new behavior starts slacking off.  You stay in the fight for a while.  You know if you just stay strong and stay motivated that you can do it, but before long the old behaviors are back in full swing, the new behavior is a distant memory and you're back to square one.  You feel guilty and disappointed and wonder why you have such a lack of will power.  You wonder what went wrong.

Never underestimate the power of habit.  Just as it took time for you to develop a bad habit or behavior, it takes time to develop a good one.  And it's not just about having the motivation or the willpower to do away with old habits and stick with new ones.  Studies have found that as we repeat mental and/or physical behaviors we build neural pathways that get bigger and stronger the more we use them.  Our habits are part psycho-physiological so our bodies, as well as our minds are involved in the process.  Once a habit becomes an everyday part of our lifestyle, much of how it operates travels along the equivalent of giant multi-lane highways in our brains.  So when you take on the task of changing a habit, you are literally hacking a new trail through the jungle.  You are re-wiring your brain.  As you might imagine, this takes time and many, many repetitions. (Real Balance Training Institute)

So next time you decide to make a change.....use this information to your advantage.  Be more patient with yourself.  Stay positive.  Expect setbacks.  Welcome challenges.  And know that if you repeat your new habit over and over and over and over and over and over, scientific evidence shows that it can and will stick. 

With Wellness,

Brandyn
www.wellfitrichmond.com