It is that time of year when many of us are motivated to make some changes. The start of a new year feels like a clean slate. Oftentimes the changes we want to make are related to nutrition habits.
We can give you all the recommendations in the world about how to change nutrition habits. The reality is that change is uncomfortable and you will have to get through some discomfort in order to make change happen.
Your current habits are easy and effortless for you. For example, it is effortless to have that beer or snack at the end of the day while watching Netflix. It is easy to grab that treat at the coffee shop or to order Grubhub instead of cooking your own food.
Changing behaviors takes effort.
If you are looking to make meaningful changes to your lifestyle, I highly recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. There are strategies that can help, but you still have to be prepared to be a little uncomfortable (or a lot).
The good news is behavior change gets easier with practice over time. Eventually your new habits will form.
The first time you don’t indulge in that treat after dinner while you are relaxing might feel really difficult. The cravings will be very strong.
Guess what? You gotta get through it and expect it will suck. Break through one craving at a time. Say to yourself “This is how change happens.”
Another strategy is controlling your environment. If you stick to your normal routine you are exposed to many unconscious triggers from your old habits and behaviors.
Doing a different action or creating a new behavior can help. If you’re experiencing cravings go to a different room and read instead of sitting on the coach watching Netflix. If it helps you get through those first intense cravings, it might be worth sacrificing watching your favorite show for a few nights or more.
After getting through the first few days of change, your confidence increases and it gets a little better. You start feeling better, more confident and you’re developing new neural pathways in your brain. Depending on the behavior it might take a while to feel easier, but if you stick with it, it WILL get better.
Is life supposed to be a constant state of ease and comfort? Getting comfortable with discomfort will not only help you make change, but also help guide you through deciding what is worth making changes for.