Why are some things harder to ‘give up‘ than others? Why do we constantly fall back into the same ‘old ways‘? Why do we keep making the same ‘bad choices‘ for our health? Why do the same ‘issues‘ keep showing up with the different partners I choose? Why, oh why don’t old habits die hard?
So let’s talk about that…. what exactly is a HABIT?
We all got them, so what’s the big deal?
The big deal is simply this… some Habits interfere with our ability to manifest and align with what’s GOOD for us.
Let’s let that sink in for a moment…..
According to Google, the definition of a habit is ‘a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up’ (there’s that phrase again….give up! Ugh) Some Synonyms for habit are ‘custom, routine, pattern, way, tradition…and my favorite norm‘. When you say the word, norm, out loud, how does it make you feel? Close your eyes now and really get into the energy behind this word …say it slower now, and again, n…o…r…m. Doesn’t it bring some sort of comfort to you? If you’re shaking your head NO, then you’re not doing it right. Come on now, no one is looking, get into it, take a deep breath in, hold it, now let it out, stand up and shake your limbs out a little, maybe you’re too stiff, normmmm…that’s it! I like the way you put the emphasis on the ‘mmm’, ok I did it for you lol but it’s all good, I appreciate you going along with me. Two thumbs up for effort yay!!
Personally, I would describe a habit as a Safety Net of sort, one that resonates with the “Ahh I know this” part of the brain, as opposed to ‘this is unfamiliar, strange or uncomfortable‘ for me…. which in essence equals “Splitsville – See ya later- too risky and No thanks!”
Once that part of your brain, which we will refer to from now on as the Critter Brain or Brain #1, feels like the safety zone has been compromised,..
‘What!! You’re trying something New? Are you crazy??’ …
That’s it, the brakes are put in motion, emotions come into play, and a whole lotta justification for keeping those habitual behaviors are created and so, we move away from and back to the safety of what we know, i.e. the old experiences that do not shift or threaten our survival.
And this is what it all comes down to, The Critter Brain doesn’t like CHANGE. The Critter Brain wants no part of anything that will create havoc and destroy our sense of love, safety and belonging.
One of my goals as a Functional Holistic Lifestyle coach is to, first and foremost, help you to take in and absorb fully this ‘habit’ concept.
Rome wasn’t built in a day as they say, and so, we need to be mindful and allow ourselves to decide, at the end of the day, what matters most to us.
Are we comfortable with the way things are at the moment? Or…
Are we ready to give ourselves a chance at freedom!!
In building and creating new healthier habits, traditions and a new norm for ourselves, we need to get to the root of why we make the choices we do at present.
The answer doesn’t lie in ‘giving in or giving up’ I’m happy to report.
The answer does lie however, in Committing Connecting and Changing our beliefs.
So now that I’ve given away the secret to successfully living a healthier life, that should be it right? (Enter violin 🎻) Unfortunately, there’s a lot more, and we’ve just barely scratched the surface here.
Healthy living, is so much more than the food we eat… it’s the music we listen to, it’s the people we surround ourselves with, it’s the stuff we read, the movies we look at, it’s what we spend our free time doing…. Healthy Living should nourish every part of us….Our mind, our body, our soul, our spirit.
The Journey has just begun for us….
Congratulations on making it to the end! Woohoo!!! If you would like more of a one on one with me, stay tuned…keep reading my blogs, be sure to leave a comment and your email, and I will keep you posted. Thank you so much for your time!!
The Butterfly Effect Lifestyle 