As summer quickly approaches, I tend to engage in increasingly more discussions with friends and clients around getting in “bathing suit shape.” In the mental health world, changing habits and developing ways to do things differently and better (like eating better and exercising more) is called behavior modification. So, with warmer weather just ahead, please allow me to offer a few thoughts that might help people positively change their thinking and behaviors before going to the beach this summer!First, whether it is making changes to eat healthier, exercise more, or develop new methods for self improvement, you must first accept that change is rarely easy. In fact, in Scott Peck’s “The Road Less Traveled” the first sentence of the book reads: Life is difficult. Yes, life is difficult, but it’s not impossible – so rather than fret about the fears you might have, try to embrace the challenge of changing the behaviors you have targeted.As human beings, we are “creatures of habit,” so to speak – meaning we like to do things that feel normal to us. Additionally, we also follow the path of least resistance (similar to an electrical current), and often look for the easiest, least cumbersome way to go about living our lives. Unfortunately, when it comes to changing habits (or engaging in behavior modification), we cannot be “creatures of habit,” nor can we “take the path of least resistance.” In other words, we have to do things more efficiently (and differently) – and this type of effort almost always requires personal conviction and a positive attitude.The following is a great saying to think about:“If you keep on doing what you have always done, you will keep on getting what you have always gotten.”Think about that — if you are interested in eating healthier, losing weight, and feeling better about your life decisions, it is very likely that you will need to do things differently than you are currently doing. While this may seem like common sense, I cannot tell you how many people I have worked with over the years that want (expect??) different results, yet do not change their daily actions!Yes, making life changes is often very tough to do. However, what pain and discomfort are you currently experiencing by not changing?! Is your health suffering? Are you experiencing negative mood states, anxiety, and possibly depression? Do you no longer want to look at yourself in the mirror because you don’t like what you see? Has your physician warned you about your lifestyle, and how things need to change in order for you to live longer and healthier? Rather than dwell on negative news, I want you to get excited about making positive changes!Unfortunately, there are no “free rides” when it comes to breaking old habits and developing new ones. Furthermore, you cannot “kinda” want to change a bad habit, for this type of mindset is far too vulnerable to the first stress to come your way. The good news about behavior modification, however, is that the new habits you choose to develop will soon become “old habits” in very little time, making it much more bearable to do things like “eat better” and “exercise more.” Once things are routine, you won’t even notice the changes you made – and the results will amaze you.Millions of people every day make dramatic, positive life changes — men and women, young and old. Begin to think about the things that make you happy, and then develop specific plans to help get you there. The more we take control of our lives, the less stress we experience, and the better we begin to feel. All this, of course, leads to a happy, healthy, and prosperous life — as well as better bathing suit pictures!Pick up your copy of Changing Habits for Life Success today!www.drstankovich.com
