Building Healthy Habits in Uncertain Times
Overcoming the 6 Most Common Distractions to Goal Achievement
As a food coach, I enjoy seeing the “Aha!” moments as people connect their eating habits with goal achievement in their lives.
Some people enjoy building healthy habits for physical outcomes (less illness, weight loss, etc.). Others enjoy building healthy habits for the feeling of achievement.
They realize that food is fuel. What you put into your body yields a corresponding result. Eat bad, feel bad. Eat healthily, feel focused.
Healthy habits work great under ideal circumstances. When things are going well in your life. When life is predictable. When you feel in control of what’s going on around you.
Now enter uncertainty.
The Coronavirus, for example, causes many people to turn their attention toward more basic aspects of life. They set up home offices. They take care of their children among work meetings. They grab what they can from the grocery shelves to stay awake.
The Coronavirus has not been the first health crisis this world has faced. It won’t be the last.
How do you sift through the noise and distraction of a crisis and stay focused on your health goals?
The Perpetual Nature of Distractions
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” — Michael Jordan
In 1978, then high schooler Michael Jordan didn’t make the basketball team. He was too short and too weak. He couldn’t make the right shots he would need to help the team.
Michael Jordan went on to become one of the greatest basketball players ever.
How did he do that?
He overcame the obstacle of not being good enough. That obstacle served as a distraction to what mattered in life.
Sure, growing four inches during high school gave him a better chance. That’s simple biology.
He also continued to train and push himself despite the setback of not making the team. That is motivation. Motivation comes from a desire to overcome the obstacle in front of you and move forward with your life.
There will always be obstacles in your life. You can either let those obstacles engulf your life, or you can find a way around them.
For example, London’s Metropolitan railway was the world’s first tunnel. It opened in 1863 after considerable effort and disruption to the surrounding community. The tunnel created accessibility to transport vital goods and services.
The Coronavirus, as another example, is on everyone’s radar.
You likely need to work from home.
There may be changes you need to make to your food habits due to food availability (or lack thereof).
There are various hygiene routines you need to do.
Coronavirus is the main obstacle currently. In the long term, there will always be some obstacle between you and the goal you want to achieve.
It may be Coronavirus.
It may be caring for an elderly parent.
It may be receiving a troubling medical diagnosis.
There will always be some obstacle in your life.
It is not a question of what the obstacle is or when an obstacle will emerge. It’s a question of HOW you will overcome the obstacle to reach your goals.
The obstacle is not a bad thing in the long term. It involves seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Why Healthy Habits are Important in Uncertain Times
“Good timber does not grow with ease:
The stronger wind, the stronger trees;
The further sky, the greater length;
The more the storm, the more the strength.
By sun and cold, by rain and snow,
In trees and men, good timbers grow.”
- Douglas Malloch
Healthy habits improve the quality of human life. They help us continue our current habits. They also allow us to unlearn unproductive habits and form new habits.
Healthy habits give you something to fall back on — something steady to rely on in the changing times.
During uncertain times, such as with the Coronavirus, you need something to ground you — to keep you steady.
Moderate wind and rain help young trees to develop healthy root systems. They also build thick bark to guard against future storms.
Like a strong tree during a storm, you need a strong root system to keep you well-grounded.
Healthy habits are that grounding.
They are that foundation you need to stay focused.
When you have healthy habits, you can depend on those habits in times of trial and uncertainty — as well as in good times.
Escaping Survival Mode
“Survival mode is supposed to be a phase that helps save your life. It is not meant to be how you live.” — Michele Rosenthal
Survival mode is an emergency, fight-or-flight response to a dangerous or stressful situation.
People often say they are in survival mode. That means doing the least amount necessary until the situation goes away.
The trouble with that is people move from one situation to another. They never seem to get out of survival mode.
They drag themselves out of bed in the morning to go through the morning ritual of getting ready for the day.
They grab whatever happens to be in the refrigerator to eat on their way to work.
They fight traffic to get to work. They manage to do something during the day to earn a paycheck — which they reason is better than nothing.
Then fight traffic again on the way home. They come home to crying children and a spouse wondering what’s for dinner.
This is survival mode. This is neither healthy nor sustainable in the long term.
People in survival mode get caught in a time warp. They don’t know how to move forward with what they want REGARDLESS of the situation around them.
Survival mode is an excuse NOT to move forward toward your goals.
How do you get out of survival mode and start achieving your biggest goals?
Survival mode often happens during a trial, but then somehow becomes the norm.
Survival mode is your safety net during an uncertain situation. Survival mode can help you overcome that situation.
The problem is you may come to like survival mode. Survival mode may become a habit after a stressful time, such as with the Coronavirus. You enjoy the comfort and security it provides. You may feel like you need it all the time. It becomes a way of life rather than a temporary safety net.
Building healthy habits is your lifeline to escape survival mode.
Healthy habits are long-term centric. Healthy habits are a strong and reliable foundation.
Building Healthy Habits Among the Chaos
“Healthy habits are learned in the same way as unhealthy ones — through practice.” — Wayne Dyer
According to author James Clear, it takes approximately two months to form a habit. The actual amount of time depends on the situation.
To build healthy habits, it’s important to know what you want to begin with.
The following brief exercise will help refocus your mind toward your health goals.
Define the Goal and its Importance
“If the challenge we face doesn’t scare us, then it’s probably not that important.” Simon Sinek
Take out a piece of paper or go to a blank notes page on your electronic device. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What is your goal? What do you want to happen?
- What is holding you back from fulfilling your goal?
- What one thing can you do differently to make that happen?
How can you act upon that one thing to begin developing your new habit? There are likely many things you need to do to fulfill your goal to develop your new habit. Selecting one thing is a great starting point and not overwhelming.
You eat the elephant one bite at a time.
Don’t try to tackle every aspect of that new habit or goal at once. You start small and work your way up.
Find Your Passion
“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” Simon Sinek
It is not enough to have a goal — no matter how important that goal may be.
You need to understand why you want to achieve that goal.
What’s the goal above the goal? What benefit will fulfilling that goal bring you?
Let your WHY be your passion.
Visualize your future.
A dear friend of mine has a daughter with Down Syndrome. That daughter lost 36 pounds in a year, just by visualizing the way she used to look every day. At lunch she would say, “I want to be that girl again!” And would refuse to eat more than necessary. She is passionate about visualizing her future.
What is your WHY? Think of it around food.
If you eat healthier, you will have more clarity and concentration at work.
Building healthy habits is key to whatever you do in life. Whether you are a business executive or an athlete.
Knowing what you want and why you want it is crucial to your success.
Understanding the why is what drives you toward that goal.
Organizational psychologist Benjamin Hardy stated,
“When the why is strong enough, you will figure out the how.”
Understanding why you want to achieve a goal is key to drilling through your own tunnel to a new habit.
If your why is not clear, every distraction, every obstacle, will seem insurmountable.
6 Common Distractions and How to Overcome them to Build Healthy Habits
While motivation helps to reduce distraction, distraction is still widely prevalent. It is almost humorous to consider how easily people get distracted from their goals. For example, you may find yourself saying,
“I’ll eat healthier when…”
- I have more time at work.
- My kids are grown.
- I get a promotion.
- I have more leisure time.
The reality is that these and other things are distractions.
Why do people get distracted from their goals?
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of what others will think
- Fear of success
- Fear of failure
- Obstacles in their way
Let’s take a look at some common distractions and possible solutions. Then you can build healthy habits regardless of what is going on around you.
1. Speed Over Health
“We’ve become so addicted to instant gratification that we’re blind to the impact it has on our lives.“ — Frank Sonnenberg
One big distraction that people often have is that the need for speed is greater than the need for health.
People often think, “I need food right now. I can’t afford to wait until I can eat something healthy. I am on my way to a meeting, so I’ll grab whatever food I can find.”
The problem is you are not being in tune with yourself. It is counterproductive.
Food is fuel for the body. What you put into your body yields the performance you receive. It’s not only for athletes. You may be a coach, or a business executive, or a teacher. No matter what your profession, you want to be on your game.
People put their health on the back burner so much. They often don’t realize it until something brings their attention back to their present situation.
The problem is that we as a people want instant gratification. Often we declare, “I’ve tried [my new habit] for 2 days, and it hasn’t worked!”
The solution to that is more quality and creativity, and less quantity. You can substitute a healthier food for something you regularly eat. Make time to discover new foods and their health benefits. What you find may surprise you.
Once you create a habit, or you at least begin to make healthy choices, stick with it! Don’t give up at the first sign of trouble.
That healthy habit may take you out of your comfort zone. It may stretch you to your limits. But recognize that new habit is what is making you a stronger, healthier person.
2. The Opinions of Others
“You have competition every day because you set such high standards for yourself that you have to go out every day and live up to that.” — Michael Jordan
Social influence is a powerful force in our lives. People teach us from the time we are very young to the time we leave home as an adult.
Those teachings are out of love.
They protect us.
And we conform to what those around us are doing.
Negative social influence can come at a high price, if it prevents our progress. Innocent env can stifle our ability to develop healthy habits.
Fear of disappointing those in our circle of influence, fear of not being part, of being the oddball, we give in and compromise our health. Detrimentally hindering our weight and health goals for the eating moment.
The solution is becoming your future self. Remember: it is not about what others think. It is about becoming someone stronger. It is about moving toward your goals. It is about progressing in life. It is about being able to help those around you to become better also.
Michael Jordan became a leader by being different, not the same. Different is good!
When it comes to building healthy habits, the only real competitor is yourself.
3. Environmental Noise
“Your environment doesn’t define you.” — Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Another huge distraction is the noise around us. Examples include work deadlines, school assignments, or other obligations. Many times that noise around you pulls you away from what matters.
The antidote is creating an environment where we can focus on what matters. Focus on eating a meal. Turn off devices and have a dinner conversation with friends or family members.
What can you do to focus on healthy eating? Can you cook together?
What pulls you into the moment?
You can make small adjustments to your environment to build healthy habits.
Change your environment to make those healthy habits easier For example:
Get rid of unhealthy foods.
Create a quick, but beautiful table arrangement.
Leave electronic devices in another room.
4. Fear of Learning
“Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.” — W.B. Yeats
Learning does not just happen in a formal school setting. It happens every day of your life. Learning ignites your curiosity. It helps you discover new information, facts, figures, opinions, and comparisons. Learning helps you make decisions.
From food choices to career fields to how you interact with others, you make decisions every day. You have to be informed.
With all those benefits to learning, also comes fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of success. Fear of failure. Fear of discovering something new.
There are also rationales for NOT learning. It takes too much time. It’s too complicated. It’s too expensive.
These rationalizations distract us from building healthy habits. They keep you from accessing information to build the very habits you desire in the first place.
You can overcome this distraction through microlearning. Microlearning includes small bits of learning to teach you about a topic.
People often use microlearning for skill-based education. Apps, podcasts, and quizzes are a few examples of microlearning. Microlearning is interactive. It helps you remember information easier than other learning styles.
You can use microlearning by looking up information in small increments. When building healthy eating habits, you could look up information on energy foods. You could look up recipes that use those foods. You could add one of those recipes to your meal plan.
Microlearning offers the benefit of small jumps in learning without feeling overwhelming. Those small bits of learning also pique your curiosity for more learning. Learning can then become a routine, a habit that opens doors.
5. The Pull of Negative Experiences
“Use each interaction to be the best, most powerful version of yourself.” — Marianne Williamson
We all have negative experiences at some point in our lives. The question is how we react to those experiences. Do we bounce back and move on with our lives? Do we allow those experiences to hold us back and hinder our future progress?
The following example shows how negative experiences can control our decision making.
Stephanie (names and circumstances have been changed) began the coaching experience with a plan.
She set a bold goal. She wanted to be free of caffeine by a certain date.
She wanted to quit using caffeine and replace it with healthy eating and exercise.
Stephanie was preparing for a running competition and wanted to be at her best. She wanted to be able to run without relying on caffeine.
Knowing what she wanted and the steps to get there, she seemed very enthusiastic. It was inspiring to see her focus and direction as she prepared to execute her plan.
When the time came to carry out the plan, she lacked trust (in herself) and the commitment to follow through.
The reality of meeting her goals finally sunk in. It was more than what she bargained for.
Fear took over.
Though Stephanie had the initial commitment to be successful, apprehension became the stronger voice, her courage and confidence wavered, with only doubts and limitations left, staring her in the face.
She didn’t try to execute her plan, in which such feelings would have dissipated. Believing it was impossible, she had no idea where to start.
I provided more information, guidance, encouragement, and accountability. But ultimately success and execution of her well-thought-out plan were up to her.
Quitting an addictive substance like caffeine is an enormous effort in itself. It requires continued planning and commitment. Execution on such a plan brings the level of confidence necessary to make it happen.
As her withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine increased, so did her doubts. She chose to walk away from that opportunity to overcome her caffeine dependency. She caved to doubt and discouragement.
Proceeding forward, we do not need to let negative experiences get the best of us.
The best solution is to leave the past in the past and move forward.
6. Lack of Motivation
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” — Zig Ziglar
People think “I’ll start building that habit when… I have more energy…I have more time, etc.”
The reality is that you won’t have more energy until you start building the habit.
Building habits often involves stepping into the unknown. You don’t know whether it’s going to work. That feeds your motivation.
Motivation is a big factor in goal achievement. If you are not motivated, it’s not going to happen.
Small successes feed your motivation. It is the convincing factor that keeps you going.
Business coach Dan Sullivan teaches The Gap and the Gain. Most people focus on the gap — what is missing from their lives. In contrast, by living in the gain, you focus on the progress you are making. That feeds your motivation. Those small bits of progress add up to goal achievement.
Building healthy habits doesn’t have to be something big. Many people think they will have to revamp their entire day to eat healthier, for example. That is not the case. Implementing small changes is what builds the habit and makes a difference.
For example, you could add one new vegetable or fruit to your eating routine. You could spend a little time learning about healthy foods.
It’s not something ominous. It’s the small things that make a difference.
A New Beginning
“When life knocks you down, try to land on your back. Because if you can look up, you can get up. Let your reason get you back up.” — Les Brown
Every day can be a new beginning.
Every day you can start with a clean slate. New habits or resolutions do not only begin on New Year’s or at any other particular time.
Then begin today.
Resolve to start a healthy habit.
Take those tiny steps needed to launch that new habit.
When you fall, get back up.
Like a child learning to walk, keep trying. With encouragement, focus, direction, and determination, you can make it.
When you mess up on your habits one day, start back again the next day.
Don’t let failure prevent you from building those healthy habits.
Move forward with optimism.
You can do it!
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As a Food Experience Architect and Instructional Psychologist, Michelle Seidling, PhD empowers working professionals to develop healthy, sustainable eating habits for life success. Find Michelle on Medium, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
