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Healthy Change: Motivation, Mindfulness and Movement



What makes you want to move?   Is it because the you went to the doctor and you heard these words, “ You must exercise 30-60 min per day or you must eat more fruits and vegetables.”   Just hearing the words “ must,” “should” or “have to” can have a negative effect on motivating us to actually move  or engage in the very activity that is recommended.  The word “should” can be used to express obligation or expectations. Think about how you feel when someone says, “ You should do…xyz.”  Honestly, you probably don’t like it.  Neither children nor adults like to hear, “ You have to do xyz.”  We resort to 2 yr old behavior, dig in our heals and resists.  “No, No, No!” We say to ourselves.  “ You can’t tell me…” “I am the boss of me!” 

Have you ever thought that rather than telling people what they should or should not do to get healthy? Ask them?  Ask them, “How do you feel when you eat xyz?” How do you feel when you go for a walk, run, swim, stretch, relax?  Helping people to become mindful of how they feel when they engage in an activity is a powerful motivator for healthy change.   Without spending an enormous about of time explaining B.F. Skinner’s work on operant conditioning; one can learn through mindfulness how to increase positive feelings by engaging in a particular behavior through repetition.  Basically, if one feels good about situation or activity; then one is likely to repeat it over and over. 

How does this apply to health?  To become healthy; action is required.  Mind and body must be engaged for long-term sustainable health.  Here are some recommendations:

1.   Move. Move for 30-60 minutes per day and ask yourself how did you feel afterwards.  If you noticed, I did not say exercise.  I chose the word move.  Garden.  Walk around the neighborhood.  Watch the evening news or your favorite television show while walking on the treadmill.  These are only a few examples. 

2. Write. Jot down how you felt after you engaged in your activity.  Did you enjoy it?  Here’s a little secret.  If you did, then you are likely to repeat it.

3. Eat.  Choose foods you like. Focus on how you felt after eating these foods.  Did you feel great afterwards or not?  Are the foods you chose going to help you with your health goal? 

4.   Associate. Start to associate how you feel with what you are doing or eating.  This is the first step in making healthy change.  Be mindful if any negative emotions creep in.  Do you feel guilt or shame when you eat xyz?  If you “fall off the wagon,” do you keep selecting food options that may not be the best for you and then you “hide under the wagon” and let it roll over you?

5. Re-start. If you must, start again! Keep at it until it becomes automatic.  Change takes practice.  It is through deliberate practice in incremental steps done everyday that change is made.

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