About This Episode

8 Healthy Habit Hacks

Episode 131

Are you ready to change?  I mean, are you really ready to make a change? Sidney Harris says, “Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it all at the same time. And what we really want is for things to remain the same, but get better.”

We want to call apple pie, a serving of fruit and be thin. We want to dump salt on our food and have normal blood pressure. 

We want to watch TV and have big muscles, and we want to scroll through Instagram reels for an hour before bed and then sleep good and feel rested. We want to let our minds spin with anxiety and have peace. We want to wave a magic wand and poof, all of our stress disappears. We want to have several drinks and not feel hung over. We want to nurse a grudge and be included with our friends. We want to live long, healthy, and happy, but we also want to have our cake and eat it too.  So again, the question is, do you really want to change?  Tony Robbins says, “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”

Change is painful.

Today in mini medical school, we’re going to a short class in psychology and it actually starts with a test to figure out if you’re ready to make a change, to get healthier and change your lifestyle. So, which of these statements describes you?  

1. Nope. I’m not doing it.  

This means you’re just not really ready to make a change in your life now. And if this is the stage you’re in. That’s okay. What you mainly need is more information because you need to understand the consequences of changing versus not changing. So keep listening to this podcast so you can learn more about the impact of lifestyle medicine on your health.. Now we call this the pre-contemplative stage. You’re not planning to make any changes in the next six months. 

2. Yes, I want to change.

You’re the type of person who knows that you’re going to make a change within the next few months. And you understand it’s not going to be easy, but you don’t really have a specific plan yet. You’re just kind of gearing up. We call this the contemplative stage. You’re thinking about making a change soon.  

3. My mind is made up.

You’re determined you’re going to make a change and you’re planning to start soon. You believe you need to make a change. And so you’re taking small steps to prepare. We call this the preparation stage. You’re going to take action in the next 30 days. 

4. I’m doing it.

You’ve recently taken those first steps and made some changes. It’s all still new to you, but you’re gaining ground. We call this the action stage. It’s where you’re taking small steps in a new direction.

5. I did it.

You succeeded at making a change, but you’re guarding against going back to your old ways. You understand you’re vulnerable to relapse. We call this the maintenance stage.  This is where you’ve sustained change for at least six months.

6. Stick a fork in me. You’re done.

You’re confident that the change you made will last. And the temptation to go back to your old ways doesn’t pull you in anymore. We called this the termination stage. Where you have no desire to return to your old ways.

The problem is sometimes we want to change on the one hand, but on the other hand, there are some benefits to staying put. That’s called ambivalence. And it’s important to work through that. So let’s get it out in the open so you can deal with it.   In order to do that. I think you should think about all of the positive reasons for staying the same. I mean, we all probably enjoy things that are not good for us. For example, if you love a bowl of ice cream after dinner, watching shows on TV, drinking a cocktail, being alone and staying up late.  There are some benefits of staying the same because you obviously enjoy those things.  So list them out. Let’s put them out in the open. 

Maybe what you really need is a reason to change. Your core values affect your choices in life.  Let’s explore your why? Why do you want to change? 

Maybe it’s because you’ve seen the parent grow old and not be able to get up out of a chair. And you don’t want to be like that. Or maybe you looked in the mirror and said, who is that? I don’t want to be that person. Or maybe you’re going to the pharmacy and picking up a sack full of medications and they’re expensive and they have side effects. And you’re wondering if you made some changes,

if maybe you could get off of some of that stuff.  Or maybe you look outside and you see your kids or grandkids playing. And you wish you could participate. Or go on a hike with your family. Explore what matters most to you? And that will help you identify your pain point. And think about your, why. What gets you up every morning? I mean, we all need purpose in our lives and purpose often drives us.  It may be meaningful relationships or a fulfilling job or a calling to serve others. You need to explore your strengths values, and maybe even write out a personal mission statement, then you can tap into your gifts and strengths and determine your reasons for making a change. Good reasons to change include better health because it’s a valuable asset. 

If you lose your health, you lose your ability to do anything else. 

Until you identify a specific problem, it’s hard to tap into that pain point that drives successful change. And most of us just have this vague idea when it comes to health, we want to be healthy, but that’s really an abstract concept. It’s not a fully formed plan.

And that is why most attempts fail.

 Maybe it would help if you filled in these blanks because I have______. I am at risk for _____, or if I don’t change _______. I can’t do ______. 

Okay, this is a little hard on a podcast. 

I actually have a course called seven day prescriptions for change. It’s completely free. It has a downloadable workbook where you can fill in these blanks on paper. If that’s easier for you, I’ll put a link in the show notes seven day prescription for change, or you can find it on my website. 

But let’s get started with those eight healthy habit hacks.

1. Identify your goals and you need to be specific. And on top of a specific goal, you need a specific plan. Make SMART goals. Write it down.

2. Start small, think big.

I don’t think we necessarily have to start small. We just have to identify what the steps are that move us from point A to point B. But we could start big in one department and that’s our identity. Start viewing yourself as a healthy person.

3. Create a routine. 

4. Use associations and do habit stacking. I recommend James Clear’s book, “Atomic Habits.”

5. Track your progress.

6. Have an accountability partner. 

7. Learn from your mistakes when you relapse. Don’t let failure define you. 

8. Celebrate milestones because I know you’re going to get there. It won’t be easy, but you’re getting the tools you need to make changes that make a difference.

Say goodbye to quick fixes and embrace a personalized plan for longterm health. Because healthy looks great on you. 

RESOURCES (may contain affiliate links)

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7-Day Prescription for Change – sign up to receive podcasts by email

Workbook for 7 Day Prescription for change

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Equilibrium Telehealth for residents of Arkansas and Tennessee