by David Junno Psy.D.
What Makes It Hard To Change?
—————————————————————-
Many of us have been given news by our doctors that we need to
make some lifestyle changes to ensure continued good health.
These changes can include:
%B7Losing weight
%B7Exercising more
%B7Stopping smoking
%B7Reducing stress in our lives
%B7Reducing drinking
All of these are great suggestions and could improve our health.
The problem is most of us are not ready to make these changes
just because we hear they are helpful.
Prochaska in his book, Changing For Good, cites research that
of the people needing to make changes in areas like those
mention above only about 20% are ready to do it.
Why might that be?
There are a number of reasons we might not be ready to make
a change to improve our health. Here are just a few:
%B7We do not see it as a problem
%B7We see a problem but are not what to do to help
%B7We fear that we won”t be able to make the
the necessary changes and don”t want to risk failure
%B7We have tried before unsuccessfully so are
discouraged and feeling we can not make the
necessary changes
These are just a few reasons. The bottom line is they all lead
to the same result- doing nothing.
What can you do if you are feeling any of the above?
One thing is to remind yourself that just because you are not
ready to make choices now to live a healthier lifestyle, does
not mean you will not be able to make the changes in the future.
Most of us go through a period of time when we are not ready to
make changes we know are important. Use this time to learn about
the problem you are facing and what might be helpful to address
it. In the case of cholesterol find out more about it, and why it
isimportant to reduce it.
Giving yourself permission to take some time before moving into
action is important. It is not that you are not going to take action,
it is just that you are not ready%85yet!
Remember, having the right diet, and getting enough exercise will
not only improve your health- IT WILL IMPROVE YOU LIFE.
Until next time,
Dave Junno Psy.D.
Copyright 2002 David Junno
Dave Junno Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and
author of Lowering High Cholesterol and Reducing
Your Risk of Heart Disease- READY OR NOT!
www.lower-high-cholesterol-ready-or-not.com
About the Author
David Junno Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and author of: Lower High Cholesterol, Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease- READY OR NOT!, an e-book program for making the lifestyle changes necessary to live a healthier life.
