Switch - Getting to a healthier you

Chip and Dan Heath wrote a wonderful book entitled “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard”. It looks at ways to try and help us make changes. And most of us will agree change can be hard.  Many of us can improve our health with some changes to our lifestyle and habits, but often times these changes may be hard. Let’s look at applying principles of the book to improving health.

They point out that each us has an emotional side and a rational side. These two parts of our brains thinking are sometimes referred to the rider (rational) and the elephant (emotional). The rider can steer the elephant, but if the elephant wants to go somewhere else it can always overpower the rider. In order to be successful in changing things you have to reach both and clear a path for them to succeed. In short you have to “Direct the Rider”, “Motivate the Elephant” and “Shape the Path”.

Directing the rider isn’t to difficult because most rational people know that better eating, more exercise and controlling our stress is healthy for us. But here are a few things to help the rider.

First when it comes to directing the rider look for bright spots. Investigate times in your past that you may have been a little healthier with better diet, exercise and stress reduction. What was going on then and then clone it. Did you eat better because you ate home cooked meals instead of fast food? But now as the kids got older and you are taxing them to and from places it is easier to drive through for dinner? Maybe make your meals ahead of time so you can do the drive through at your own house. Did you exercise more because it seemed like you had more time? With the business of life, finding time is often times difficult. Maybe create a half hour of time by cutting out a half hour of TV each night.
Another technique to direct the rider is by scripting the critical moves. Don’t think in terms of the big picture (eat healthier, get more exercise, reduce my stress), think in terms of specific behaviors. Think eat one fruit for breakfast each day, two vegetables for lunch and half of my plate at dinner should be fruits and vegetables. Think no more chips and cookies for snacks only fruits and vegetables. Think walk 30 minutes every night with my spouse instead of TV. Think lift some weights on Tuesday and Thursday. Think spend 10 minutes each night before bed doing some meditation and relaxation breathing.

The last point for directing the rider is point to the destination. Change is easier when you know where you are going and why it’s worth it. I will be eating 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day and my cholesterol will be under 200 in 6 months, so I can get off cholesterol medication. I will be walking for 30 minutes each night, so I have energy and endurance to play with my grandchildren.

Next time will discuss motivating the elephant.