Changing lifestyle habits, is it really worth it? - IRCM

Tool # 41Changing lifestyle habits, is itreally worth it?Then how do we go about it?When we are uncertain or ambivalent aboutsomething, it is hard to know what to make of asituation and we sometimes face quite a dilemma.If I am being provided with this document, it is because:• My schedule is hectic, so when it is time to relax, the onlything I feel like doing is watching TV.• When I am overworked, stressed out, or when I am bored, I feellike quitting.• I know that I must change my lifestyle habits, but I justify notdoing it with 1001 reasons daily.• I reward myself by eating junk food.• I tell myself: “I don’t feel like changing my diet”.• I tell myself: “I don’t feel like exercising”.• I tell myself: “I don’t feel like quitting smoking”.“Is it worth the effort?”(ASSESSING THE PROS AND CONS)You hear it everywhere: on TV, on the radio, inmagazines, newspapers and books. We shouldeat well and exercise. We should also learnto manage stress better. We should followthe advice of our physician. We know thatfollowing his / her advice would improve ourhealth, but we often feel overwhelmed underthe impression that it is too much! We don’tfeel like it, we lack motivation, we lack time,we are too tired. Needless to say we alwaysseem to have a good reason to postpone takingaction. We feel badly because we know thatit is important, and on the other hand, we arenot sure that it is worth the effort. Bottom line:sometimes, we are ambivalent!Let’s have a look at Sebastian’s situation: heknows that smoking is bad for his cardiovascularhealth, but he is not convinced that quitting isworth the effort (he tells us: “My grandmothersmoked her whole life and she is in top shape”).He does not really feel like quitting this bad habit,but at the same time he knows that he must do itfor his cardiovascular health.This type of situation may be similar to yoursto a greater or lesser degree. If you are facinga situation about which you feel this type ofambivalence regarding a certain behaviour andyou feel that you should change, you can makethe decision easier by drawing up a list of theadvantages and the disadvantages entailed by thechange.Have a look at the chart on the next page tounderstand what it is all about: by making sucha list, we can really see what is bothering us andwhat prevents us from changing, and determinewhether it is worth taking action or not at thistime in our life. On the bottom of this chart, youcan write one sentence that states your greatestmotivation to change. For example, being healthyby the time you retire could be the factor thatmotivates you to make a change. It is recognizedthat doing this exercise of listing the advantagesand disadvantages, allows people to grade theirpriorities and see the situation more clearly. Onceyou have made this list, the decision you will makeregarding the change in your behaviour will bean informed decision concerning the CHOICE youhave decided on.Changing lifestyle habits, is it really worth it?41

When we become CONSCIOUS of the way weact and why we act in a certain way, we can thenrealize that we have some control over our destinyand we become conscious that we do have aCHOICE of reacting in different ways. Have a lookat the chart of the pros and cons that Sebastiancompleted. In the chart, next to each of theadvantages and disadvantages, you must statehow important they are to you (%). Obviously, theaim is not to reach a score of 100%! Determining ascore for each one of them gives you a snapshot ofwhat has the greatest influence on your decision,especially when you add the scores.PERSONAL CHART:PROS OFCONS OFChanging lifestyle habits, is it really worth it?41PROS OF QUITTING SMOKINGI’ll be healthier (15%)I’ll save money (20%)I’ll breathe easier (10%)At last, it will be selfcontrolinstead ofsmoking controlling me(40%)SCORE TOTAL85CONS OF QUITTING SMOKINGIt will take away a greatsource of pleasure (30%)I will feel withdrawalsymptoms and I dreadthis happening (20%)I’ll gain weight (30%)SCORE TOTAL80MY GREATEST SOURCE OF MOTIVATION IS:Being healthy during retirement, in two years, for thetrip of my dreams…Making a decision:I see that the advantages of quitting smoking aregreater than the disadvantages. I am conscious that thereasons I give not to take charge are not as important asthe reasons I have to stop smoking. It is worth a secondthought!TOTAL SCORE TOTAL SCOREMy STRONGEST MOTIVATION to change and my DECISION:Changing lifestyle habits, is it really worth it?41© Institut de recherches cliniques de MontréalWriting: Lysanne Goyer, PhD, psychologistGraphic Design: Hélène Lambin, PhDPhotography: Edyta Pawlowska - fotolia.com