The answer is, you’re human.
I know that doesn’t help you and it’s certainly not intended to be an excuse. But it’s the truth. It’s human nature to reject change, even good change, because change is scary. At least to your body and your mind. It’s the pattern of survival, to stay stuck doing the things that have kept you alive even if they’re not the best for you.
Things that your body has grown used to and created around. But also because some of these actions induce a reward, at least temporarily. In either case, it makes change appear harder than it is, leaving you running for the temporary fix.
It’s why we run to the candy stash mid-afternoon when we’re feeling a bit tired and overwhelmed.
Or why you feel like you deserve that midnight ice-cream binge.
It’s why you reset your alarm, allowing you to sleep in rather than wake up and move.
On some level, your body is exhausted, and the best place to get a boost, even temporarily, is from an immediate reward. But it doesn’t have to stay this way. You can do the things you know you should, the things you want to, but it has to be done with a different twist.
Inside this podcast, I interviewed a behavior change specialist, Dr. Heather McKee. Dr. Mckee’s work focuses on habit formation to help people make lasting change using research-driven methods to find freedom and joy in their healthy habits.
She answers your nagging question, why can’t I do what I know I need to do? And it’s one to listen to.
Learn more: https://thelivingwell.com/245