Tired of Being Tired? How to Ignite Behavior Change
Have you ever done something that, while you were doing it you thought, “I’m going to pay for this later!”? Yet, despite that little voice you just kept right on doing it? I have. Anyone that’s breathing likely has too. Curiously, there is an explanation for our seemingly irrational behaviors…
It starts with the benefits. Behaviors that ultimately cause us harm, also in some ways have benefits. Whether it’s smoking, over eating, throwing a fit of rage, staying up too late, or skipping your workout, each of these behaviors has benefits.
Living a Sedentary Lifestyle
Let’s take physical inactivity for example, the short-term benefits of not exercising are that you have more time for work and play, less effort, no expense for workout clothing, no anxiety from the judgmental gym folks, etc. Furthermore, you may be comfortable with your sedentary lifestyle. After maintaining a lifestyle of inactivity for many years continuing the status quo is familiar and change is hard.
Rest assured, my goal is not to reinforce negative habits. But when we only focus on the costs of the negative behavior, we miss the emotional value of weighing the costs against the benefits of that negative behavior. Which leads us to the costs…
The reality is that we live in a cause-effect world. One of Isaac Newton’s laws of physics is that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, our behaviors have real consequences and we will always reap the benefits and the costs of those actions.
Our behaviors have real consequences and we will always reap the benefits and the costs of those actions.
Short-term costs of physical inactivity include less energy and strength, less positive and more negative mood states, a weaker recovery from stress, and less energy for work and family. Long-term consequences of physical inactivity including poorer health, reduced concentration, chronic stress, reduced quality of life, increased risk of disease, and premature death.
Change verses Stay-the-Same
Some people prefer to live in the land of denial. They say things like, “Life’s short, I’m gonna live it up! Ha!” Statements like these expose a deliberate intent to choose immediate gratification over both relatively short-term costs and long-term consequences. People in denial are unlikely to change their behaviors in the near future.
People who are contemplating exercise are in a state of ambivalence. When asked if they are ambivalent about exercise they often reply, “well… yes and no.” Contemplators see the costs and the benefits of exercise as relatively equal and are in a state of inner conflict about whether to change or not.
People start exercising when they become fed up with the costs of inactivity. They believe that they are missing out on the benefits of exercise, which literally energizes them to get off the couch. They see the sacrifice of exercise by way of time, energy, and discomfort as less costly than the benefits of exercise they would miss out on.
People start exercising when they become fed up with the costs of inactivity.
Must we always choose “good” habits?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with an occasional cookie, skipping a workout here and there, or staying up late with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. But it’s a slippery slope, my friend! What we have to be aware of is that that one exception can become the new normal pattern of behavior. When a skipped workout turns into a week, month, or year; that one late night to meet a deadline turns into a regular pattern of sleep deprivation; or when that occasional scoop of ice cream turns into a gallon a week. The sum of negative habits over time have profound effects on our health that hurt us today and in the future.
Making a list of the benefits, short-term costs, and long-term consequences helps us recognize the full effect of our behaviors on our lives and the lives of those we interact with daily. After making a list of each, ask yourself, “are the benefits of this behavior worth the costs?” and, “are the effects of this negative habit acceptable?” While maintaining an exercise regimen is beyond the scope of this article, our initial behavior change starts with such introspection and self-examination.
Thanks for reading! 🙂
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References:
Anshel, M. H. (2008). The Disconnected Values Model: Intervention Strategies for Exercise Behavior Change. Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology, 2, 357-380.
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