habits – A Life of Well

Mindset Eating

I feel very privileged to live in a part of the world where I get to consider the various labels and ethoses we build up around the way we eat, rather than having to eat only what’s available and hoping it’s enough to get me through the day.

Many of us have an odd relationship with food in the Western world. It’s fuel, entertainment, a bonding experience, comfort, compulsion and forms a substantial part of the structure of our day – regardless how ‘healthy’ the lens viewing each individual’s relationship is. All of us require nutrients in some form or another to continue existing, but food has become something of personal, social and global importance and carries more influence with it than simply powering our bodies through the day.

	Variables
Personal	Health – allergies/medical conditions/etc. Personal flavour prefences Ethos (including re. degree of processing in manufacture, food logging, etc.) Confidence in the kitchen Time
Social	Family circle personal preferences Religion or culture Peer pressure (particularly re. cooking or food brands)
Global	Environmental impacts Animal welfare Global warming contribution Availability and distribution

I find myself wanting to change my relationship with food predominently from a personal health perspective – I have caught myself stress-eating sweets again, and would like to improve my physical health (weight, gut-health, energy) – but I want to make a conscious decision as to what direction I take that relationship in and how it aligns with my evolving beliefs.

I have always preferred to try to make theoretically sustainable lifestyle changes to my eating – I’m not one for crash dieting to try and lose a few lbs first in a way which is not healthy to do for more than a few weeks, and I am not a fan of ‘cleanses’ either – that’s what half my inner organs are for. Clearly the fact I’m here having this conversation with myself again shows I’m not so good at the ‘sustainable’ part of my lifestyle eating habits.

Rewards for Good Behaviour

When picking up a healthy activity, habit or food the reward for the first week or so is Feeling Smug. I am doing something which is helping me grow into my Best Me. I am awesome. I will become MORE AWESOME. Look at me go.

When you’re far enough into your healthy journey you can feel a difference if you pay attention but can’t see it yet, the smug runs a bit thin to sustain on alone. I find myself having to consciously note improvements after three weeks of being awake before 6am to do a 10-25 min fitness session before work: my flexibility’s improving, this exercise is easier, my mind is clearer. I’m eating more fruit than ever before, choosing vegetables before carbs and sticking rigidly to my ‘one treat a day’ limit – if needed. I just wish my trousers had realised and pulled themselves together (or rather, slackened off!).

Rewards for good behaviour are a bit thin on the ground for activities which don’t supply a big dopamine hit on their own, and I’ve found myself feeling something is lacking sometimes as I march round the woods to help clear my whirring head. I used to share my exercise activities on a running-related Facebook page, but social media is something I’m doing a lot less with. I’ve been so productive generally I’ve noticed hitting the social media feeds is something I’m only doing to actively kill time, which helps kill the hit and means I’m spending a lot less time on it – I’d rather read! I’m not even wearing a fitness tracker any more so I don’t even know how I’ve done by anything other than feel, but it’s got me thinking about the reward cycle of habits.

We have been conditioned at least in the Western nations to reward ourselves with food, drink, TV, social media and other unhealthy things; after all we’ve earned them with all those good or difficult things we completed today. “I had a salad for lunch so I’m definitely allowed an ice cream this afternoon.”, “That was a great gym session, I’m so ready for that McD’s.”, “We aced that client review meeting, let’s all celebrate at the bar.”. If you’re looking for a healthy reward, where do you go?!

Building New Habits

Definitions of habit according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary

hab·it | \ ˈha-bət \

1 : a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior

2a : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary
b : addiction
c : a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in regularity or increased facility of performance

My first car was a VW Polo. It had a tracking issue with the front tyres which was looked at in several different garage and tyre-changing places, but noone seemed to be able to do more than improve it. As a result if left to its own devices the steering wheel would rest at about 11 o’clock – it would naturally pull left. Regular motorway driving led me into the habit of driving with only my right hand on the steering wheel, where the weight of my hand would pull the wheel straight.

Two cars and about 8 years later with no tracking problems, and I have to make a very conscious effort to overlearn this behaviour and keep both hands on the wheel and actively think about ’10 and 2′ whenever I get in the car. This ‘habit’ has left me with a right shoulder which is rounded forward and affects my posture in a negative way – I have to work to stretch it out and straighten up!

The point which has been solidifying in my head this week is establishing new habits or over-writing existing ones is an active process which requires diligence and energy. I often think the health of my lifestyle moves in peaks and troughs – I get all these good ‘habits’ when everything’s ticking along nicely, but as soon as things get busy or something comes up they go out the window and it takes me weeks or months to pick them back up again. Even when I’m succeeding in healthy behaviour for an extended period, it isn’t sustained or easy enough for it to be a habit: It requires a constant injection of energy from me, and when the energy is not there the activity disappears from my day.

I re-read Atomic Habits by James Clear again recently, and signed up to his 30 day program – the emails are very similar to the content of the book, but having them land in my inbox every few days gives me a reminder of what I’m trying to establish. He gives advice about habit stacking and habit triggers, but the overarching message at least for starting out is:

Make it as easy as possible.