We know that healthy choices can help us to feel better and to live longer. Maybe you have already tried to eat better, get more exercise or sleep, quit smoking, or reduce stress. It's not easy. But research shows how you can increase your ability to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"It's frustrating to face obstacles when trying to make healthy changes and reach goals," said NIH behavioral expert Dr. Susan Czajkowski. "The good news is that decades of research show that change is possible, and there are proven strategies you can use to set yourself up for success."
There are many things you do that affect your health and quality of life, now and in the future. You can reduce your risk of the most common, expensive, and preventable health problems — such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity — by making healthy choices.
Know Your Habits
Things you do regularly — from brushing teeth to drinking a few drinks every night — can become habitual. Repeated behaviors that make you feel good may affect your brain in ways that create habits that may be difficult to change. Habits are usually spontaneous — they occur without much thought.
“The first step in changing your behavior is to build awareness of what you are doing regularly,” explains Dr. Lisa March, behavior change specialist at Dartmouth College. "Look at the patterns in your behavior and what causes the bad habits you want to change."
Maybe you eat too much while watching TV or spend time with a friend in smoke break even when you do not want to smoke. "You can develop ways to disrupt those patterns and create new ones," March said. For example, eat while you are off the TV or join friends to do healthy activities, such as take a walk.
Make a Schedule
Make a plan that includes the small, practical goals and specific actions you will take to achieve them.
"If you walk around a grocery store at work and buy junk food every afternoon, try going a different route to end that decision and bring healthy snacks home," Czajkowski said. "Whenever possible, make healthy choices an easy choice."
Consider what you think you will need in order to be successful. How can you adjust your circumstances to support your goals? You may need to collect healthy food, eliminate temptations, or find a special place to relax.
Find friends and loved ones. Studies show that people's health behaviors are often similar to those of family and friends. Invite them to join you, support you, and help you stay on track.
It is also important to plan obstacles. Think about what can hinder your best efforts to live a healthy life. Can you make healthy choices during difficult times, in stressful times, or when you are tempted by old habits?
Stay on Track
Doing things for yourself can be fun and rewarding. But there will also be times when you wonder if you can stick to it.
“Identify negative thoughts and turn them into real, productive,” advised March.
Keeping a record can help. You can use a paper journal, computer program, or mobile app to monitor things like your diet, exercise, stress levels, or sleep patterns. A study of people who lost at least 30 pounds and maintained weight for at least a year found that they often tracked their progress closely.
"Even if you think you're going to 'fall off a cart,' hold on," Czajkowski said. “Keep track of your behavior. Sometimes when you feel down, you can learn a lot. ”
March and others are working on digital technologies, such as mobile applications, that can support you in times of weakness. His team also uses technology to learn more about how to measure and develop the ability to monitor and control our behavior.
Dr. Leonard Epstein, who is studying Buffalo University ethics and decision making, says: “The more you practice self-control, the better. "You develop the ability to act and react differently."
Think of the Future
Epstein found that some people have a harder time than others resisting their opinions. You call this the "delay discount," where you reduce, or less expensive, the great benefits of waiting to reap the immediate rewards. This can lead to things like overeating, drug , alcohol or excessive shopping, or misbehavior.
He explains: “You can learn to put off self-indulgence immediately by thinking of a future episode, or by imagining good things or rewards for the future. "It's a great way to strengthen your ability to make better decisions for yourself over time."
Epstein is now learning how he can use this technique to help people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes prevent the disease.
Focusing on how change can heal your body and improve your health can help. When you stop smoking, your risk of heart attack decreases within 24 hours. Reducing stress can lead to better relationships. Even a small improvement in your diet and physical activity can reduce your health risks and extend your life.
Be patient
Sometimes when you are trying to get healthy habits, other health problems may prevent you.
"When you fight against this behavior, ask yourself if a lot of things are happening," Czajkowski said. "For example, mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety can be linked to unhealthy behaviors."
A health professional can work with you to deal with any underlying problems to make the change easier and help you to be more successful.
You are not in very good shape, overweight, or too old to make healthy changes. Try different strategies until you find the one that works best for you.
"Things may not go as planned, and it 's okay," Czajkowski said. “Change is a process. The most important thing is to move forward. ”
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