Surround Yourself for Health Success in 2022 & Beyond

If a bowl of candy is sitting nearby, the battle is already lost. We only have so much willpower to resist the addictive nature of these temptations within easy reach. We may succeed for a day or a week, but eventually the candy is more persistent than we are and it often wins out.

This time of year, we commit to improving our health with better diet, more exercise, and other good habits. However, an important part of making these healthy changes long-lasting is missing and they tend to be short-lived. This article is not about what healthy changes to make. It’s more about how to make them more sustainable. It's the consistency and persistence over time that really bring about major improvements in health. The longer you can sustain your improved habits, the more great health you will experience which will help you stick with it longer and experience even greater health.

The Missing Piece

Here’s the piece missing from most health improvement plans: changing your environment. This can mean a lot of different things which may be easy and some may take a little more effort, but changing your environment is key to sustainable habit changes for improved health. You must surround yourself with an environment that makes healthy choices much easier and unhealthy choices more effort. That could mean changes at home, at work, with friends and family, or with where you go and interact.
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Start to improve your health success by considering these questions and your health habits (diet, exercise, posture, sleep, mental stress):

1. Is there something in the house that encourages bad health habits? Is a tempting treat or snack always within reach? Is a source of stress right in front of you?
2. Is it easier to make healthy choices at home or unhealthy choices at home? What would make healthy choices less of an effort than unhealthy choices at home?
3. When and where are you most likely to make an unhealthy choice? How can you change that environment to make a healthier choice easier?
4. Does your work environment help you make healthier choices? If not, what could you change to encourage healthier choices?
5. Are there friends or family that are more likely to cause you to make unhealthy choices? How could you interact with them differently to avoid making unhealthy choices with them? Are there friends and family that more consistently make healthy choices that you could interact with more?
6. Are there unhealthy temptations along your usual daily path to/from work or school? Can you slightly modify your usual path in a way that reduces temptations or even encourages healthy habits (drive by a gym or park instead of a fast food place)?
7. Does your team of health care providers encourage and support your better habits or ignore your habits in favor of procedures and interventions?

Answering these questions gives you a great place to start. You may even want to list the things in your environment that lead to unhealthy choices. Then start to chip away at them. Some examples that we have seen with patients: replace the bowl of candy with a bowl of fruit you enjoy, keep a bottle of water nearby to avoid sweetened drinks, have a meal with friends that make healthy eating choices and find other ways to interact with friends that have unhealthy eating habits. Whenever possible, replace the unhealthy object or situation with a healthy object or situation. Don't leave a behind a hole or it will be filled with something unhealthy.

Keep asking yourself, what would make a healthy choice easier? We are human. We want things quick and easy, so feed that need for quick and easy. Also recognize the state you are in when making decisions. Eating or shopping hungry or feeling down is asking for trouble. Eat something healthy before the party, the store, or even the restaurant and you'll make it through in better shape. Here's to a healthy 2022 and beyond!

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