Barriers to a healthy lifestyle and how to overcome them

You don’t know where to start to achieve a healthy lifestyle. But having promised to do this and set clear intentions, you face an even more significant obstacle—barriers separating you from what you want. Find out what they can be and how to overcome them.

3 barriers to a healthy lifestyle and how to overcome them

1. You think that only complex solutions work

This barrier arises because of a widespread belief: if eating, sleeping, and exercising were enough for health, everyone would be healthy. We know we must eat vegetables, sleep for seven to eight hours, and stay active. However, few people constantly follow the basic rules of a healthy lifestyle. If you add more advanced habits, such as eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, their number becomes even smaller.

The first thing you need to do if you want to overcome this barrier is to believe that simple actions work. This is true if you perform them intentionally, simultaneously, and sequentially. The second thing you need to do is recognize that simple self—care activities can be a little boring. We often look for new diets or “magic” supplements because we want to try something more interesting than vegetables on our plate, especially if previous attempts at lifestyle changes have not worked as we expected.

2. You have too many ambitions

Maybe you’ve decided to improve your health, so you boldly declare that starting Monday, you will exercise for an hour daily, “choose healthy food” every time you open the refrigerator, and sleep eight hours every night. At the same time, you don’t exercise regularly right now, don’t like vegetables, and often go to bed after midnight. Let’s be honest: you ask yourself to change too many things simultaneously.

When was the last time your detailed life-changing plan worked? He probably always misfired, and that’s okay. When we feel frustrated or stuck in the current situation, creating an idealistic, complex plan for change can only provide temporary relief. Visit. A F R I N I K . C O M . For the full article. However, our brains have cognitive biases that prevent us from adequately assessing the future. We often think that tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or in a week, we will have more time, energy, and motivation than we have.

This creates the illusion that we can handle big plans, even though they don’t fit into our busy lives. When we don’t achieve ambitious goals, we start blaming ourselves and our qualities, creating negative stories about lacking discipline and motivation. And unfortunately, this is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

3. You think that your efforts should be perfect

Another lie in the health and fitness industry is that you must be “perfect” to maintain good health. For example, eating only organic foods, being able to run marathons, and waking up at five in the morning to meditate and write in a gratitude journal. Perfection is not necessary. It can be both a relief and a disappointment. On the one hand, it’s nice to know that you don’t have to keep everything under control to be healthy.

On the other hand, many of us strive for perfect shape and well-being, believing that one day we will achieve it by following the right plan. But “perfect” health is an illusion. Even the healthiest people face problems, and no one is immune from life’s difficulties. It can be challenging to accept this because it is much more convenient to believe that if you take some supplement or follow a special procedure, you will become immune to painful experiences and seasonal colds.

How to overcome these barriers

First, find out why, and then

Before you start making changes to your daily routine and habits, it’s helpful to understand your true motives. Ask yourself a few questions: — What is important to you in this change? — How serious or urgent is this for you? — Why do you keep doing what you’re doing now? When you understand why you want to change something and realize the consequences of inaction, you have a more stable impulse to move forward, even when it gets complicated.

Prioritize the most effective actions

We can do a lot but can’t do everything at once. Effective change requires a realistic approach. Identify all the tasks and commitments you need to make. Prioritize what is essential to achieve the desired results and determine where to start. Your goals’ main elements are likely related to physical activity, nutrition, and recovery. Here is an example of how to prioritize these critical aspects.

Start with the area you want to improve, such as nutrition. — Determine which skill you would like to develop, for example, how to cook healthy food at home, and choose a practice you like: attending cooking classes, cooking by video, or using recipes from a well-known trainer. — Finally, choose daily activities and assign them to a week. On Monday, you can go shopping; on Tuesday, you can do a lot of cooking; on Wednesday, you can look for new recipes and plan on which days you will eat these dishes.

Be sure to make sure that you can act even on the worst day

Try to set yourself a “pathetic” goal, such as roasting a frozen vegetable mixture in a frying pan and eating it for dinner instead of preparing a pre-planned dish. If your goal is straightforward, you’re more likely to accomplish it. It may not sound very inspiring, but if you’re having trouble staying consistent, this is where to start.

Ask yourself: What can I do on my worst day when everything goes wrong? How much time and effort will I have? This is your “gender.” Then think about it: what can I do on my best day when I feel best? How much time and effort will I have? Then think about what you can do, like spend three hours cooking for a few days. This is your ceiling. Now that you have defined your “floor” and “ceiling,” you have a flexible range of actions that can be adapted to your changing life.

It’s important to remember that your habits are not an on or off switch but rather a watch face. When life goes smoothly, you can raise their level, but you don’t have to switch off entirely if things get complicated. Adjust what you’re planning to do. Even if you perform minimal actions, it is still a success in a difficult life.

Create an ecosystem that supports you

Health and fitness professionals often forget how different their lives are from their clients. For example, many coaches work in gyms and communicate with active people, so it’s easier for them to maintain their habits. If you want to increase the likelihood of achieving your goals, consider creating an ecosystem in which failure is almost impossible. Not everyone can change their environment, but most of us can control our immediate environment.

One way is to “transform the kitchen.” Ensure that healthy foods are washed, prepared, stored in a prominent place in the refrigerator, and ready to eat. Products that do not meet your goals should be removed so that they are not visible. For example, if you need cookies from the top shelf, you’ll probably eat them less often. Think about your goals and ways to achieve them, then use these tips.

Limit the available options

Delete apps that distract you, remove foods from the kitchen that tempt you to quit dieting, or create a capsule wardrobe to save time packing in the morning. Take at least five minutes to exercise. Invest your energy in developing an ecosystem that will push you to take the desired actions. It will require a little effort at the initial stage, but in the end, you will get more results with less effort.

Use triggers

Triggers can be reminders of what needs to be done. For example, you can leave a kettle bell at the door of your home office to make ten swings every time you enter or leave. If you want to reduce the time spent on your phone, install an app that will remind you to turn it off after 20 minutes.