Blog Series #1: Behavior Change

Change. It’s a loaded word. I don’t know about you, but I mostly like things to stay the same. I love my routines and rituals. They are comfortable, reliable and predictable. Safe. Yet at the same time, I have an acute awareness that sometimes change happens (or needs to happen) whether I want it to or not.

Change.

Sometimes we choose it. Sometimes we have no choice. Even when we choose it, how we move through that change can affect our health (even if the change is about our health!). When we want to change a behavior, we are making a decision. Let’s start with that. Deciding to change.

Change is a process that reminds me of moving. For me, when I decide to move, I feel compelled to sort through my belongings, decide what to keep and what to eliminate. I make piles. I choose what to donate, sell, give away or just plain old throw out what I'm not keeping.

Then I take action.

To change a behavior (either stopping an old one or starting a new one), I begin sorting through patterns, thoughts and current behaviors, as they are “emotional belongings”. I decide what works toward the change/goals of change part of the process. After that, I sort and try to eliminate the behaviors that are obstacles to making the behavioral changes I seek.

How do any of us truly start to change? That’s a great question with which to begin.

A good way to start change is by writing down what we want, as well as what we don’t. This is the beginning of the sorting process. We must be honest with ourselves here, especially in the “keeping/getting rid of” process.

Do you want to make a change in your life? Let’s begin with a simple technique that has proven to be effective—- make a list.

This week, make your list: Create two columns: one for what you want (the “keeping pile”), the other (the “getting rid of pile”) for what you don’t want. Include any current patterns, thoughts and current behaviors.

Write down everything you can think of for each column. In my next post in this series, we will move on to the next step in making the changes we want.

Wishing you wellness,

Elizabeth