As we enter February 2023, we approach the unfortunate tradition in American culture — that new year’s resolution health kick is starting to fizzle out. There are many reasons for this: the goal was too difficult, the intervention was too much, we focused too much on external rewards (i.e. Goal weight) rather than intrinsic rewards (i.e. Healthier body for the future), or we simply weren’t ready for the change. But another big aspect is that life happens. Situations change with family or work, schedules have to be adjusted, or simply the rhythm of your life prior to making a health change is already ingrained — changing this is uncomfortable.
Two things here:
1. It is crucial to focus on the long-game.
How can I be a healthier person in 1 year? Taking advice from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits, how can I be 1% better today? This makes changes more approachable, easier to fit in to your day, and less daunting. The person who works out once per week for 1 year is healthier than the person who went to the gym 5 times per week in January and then gave up. Start small, start easy, and keep going.
2. Don’t do everything at once.
To take this a step further, take what life is giving you and make adjustments to what is feasible and reasonable right now. Let’s talk more about this.
In the book 4000 Weeks (another great read for 2023), the author makes the argument that you will never reach the point that all of your work is done, your to-do list is complete, and your future is secured. Striving for this is a fools errand and only breeds worry, anxiety, and pessimism about your present life (which is usually much better off than we think). He talks about the freeing power of acceptance — accepting your current life for what it is, focusing on the good things, and letting go of situations out of your control. By embracing your current state of life and health, you will feel a sense of relief and can better direct your efforts to things that matter (family, relationships, learning, your health, etc). Maybe don’t try to focus on 10 different health goals but rather on the 2-3 you can reliably do right now and add in the others later.
So what better way to highlight this than using myself as a real-world example. I try to practice what I preach when it comes to health and tend to be fairly regimented in how I approach it. But I just had my second child, and what better way to rattle priorities and schedules than bringing a new baby into the world! Over the short few weeks of his life so far, I’ve had to accept that this season of life will look different (this was very hard for me, by the way) and must shift my priorities in order to both care for my family as well as my body.
Sleep:
I love sleep but this is no longer under my control. And that’s ok. Instead, I will just focus on maintaining good sleep hygiene and cross my fingers that my son sleeps a little longer tonight.
Nutrition:
Poor sleep increases snacking behavior and desire for rewarding foods (i.e. Not broccoli). I recognize this and will limit availability of snack foods at home and go back to fasting in the mornings to keep my hunger cues in check.
Physical Activity:
I had just established a great weight lifting routine prior to our baby coming, so that’s out the window! My main goal here is to go on regular walks (I walk with a 30lb ruck to increase the effort) and play hard with my 2 year old.
Relationships:
Our new child seems to only care about himself and no one else! But my wife and I have made it a point to spend time together when we can (i.e. When a naps for both kids coincide or if he naps in the evenings before bed). We also plan on getting back into our regular church community now that he’s >1 month old to help maintain outside relationships.
Accepting that this is the season of life I’m in has made the changes easier to implement and brightened my outlook. Maybe you are finding yourself in a similar situation and overwhelmed by all the things you feel like you need to do to stay healthy. I ask that you take stock of your situation, focus on the healthy habits you CAN control, and start with those. Reevaluate often and get creative. Always remember that slow, consistent change is the key to long-term health.
Troy Jackson, MD
Authentic Health
Family Care + Precision Medicine
www.authentichealth.com
