Why a healthy lifestyle takes effort

“People are creatures of habit,” explains Andrea Evers, professor at the Department of Medical Psychology at Radboud University in Nijmegen. “We do things on autopilot as much as possible, because then they use the least energy.

Take driving. It happens so naturally, you hardly think about it anymore. And so you can simultaneously have a phone conversation or fantasize about what you are going to eat tonight. Very efficient. However, for new behavior, you have to do your best. Physically, but also mentally; it takes up more space in your head. You can’t use it for other things. And then there are the emotional hurdles. Maybe you don’t like what you have to do at all, or you feel ashamed of it. Then an excuse is soon found.”

Setting the bar too high

If you hear from the doctor that you probably heart problems get if you don’t lose weight and if you don’t move more often, you’ll be shocked. It gives a huge impulse to take action. “The danger is that at such a moment you set the bar way too high,” says Evers’ colleague Arie Dijkstra, professor of health psychology at the University of Groningen. “Because that fear quickly subsides and with it the motivation. Then you can never last, for example, from nowhere to exercise for half an hour every day.

And a sense of failure is death in the pot for behavior change. So it’s better to start small, with five minutes of exercise a day. That probably goes against your gut feeling, because you want to make big steps now. But build up carefully is much more effective than starting flying and then stopping after a few weeks.”

Removing obstacles

According to Arie Dijkstra, there are two things that stop people if they want to change their behavior because of their health. Or they value their old habits too much; This is especially important if you have to leave things behind, such as to smokedrinking or eating too much. Or they allow themselves to be held back by all kinds of (self-imposed) obstacles; they mainly get in the way when doing things, such as taking medicine, applying ointment or performing exercises.

Dijkstra gives an example of the latter: “Suppose the doctor says that you have to take medicine against osteoporosis. If you can choose between decalcified bones or not, the choice is easily made. However, you are not able to take the pills every day. You may find it difficult to swallow or keep forgetting them – practical hurdles. But it could also be that you see it as a sign of physical weakness to take medication, or that you think it’s chemical junk. Only if you remove such obstacles, you will succeed in permanently changing your behavior.” This applies all the more for preventive health behaviour, such as losing weight or cholesterol reducers swallow, says Dijkstra.

The smaller the change in behavior, the more you will blame yourself if you don’t stick with it. “That shame is also an obstacle,” says Dijkstra. “It makes you insecure and prevents you from asking for help. But almost everyone finds it difficult to change their behavior. You are really not a weakling if you don’t suddenly succeed. Be open about it and ask advice from people around you or to your practitioners. They often have practical tips.”

Wanting is being able

Awareness is half the battle with behavioral change. If you receive a prescription or advice from your practitioner, it pays to first think carefully about how you will fit it into your daily life. Mapping obstacles (and solutions to them) is important.

“But also think about the positive consequences of the new behaviour,” emphasizes Andrea Evers. “Doctors often mainly emphasize dangers. The result is that we quickly bury our heads in the sand – we prefer not to hear about that misery. Moreover: having to do or not do something is not fun at all. You resist that. “

Her advice: write down what nice things the new behavior will bring you. And be as specific as possible. So not: “I will have less pain”, but: “I can get up in the morning more easily, I can spend more time with take the dog for a walk.” This way, the new behavior suddenly takes on something nice. It is then not only something you have to do, but what you want.

That’s how it works

• Write down what the new behavior will bring you. Be as specific as possible.
• Map out the obstacles that may be holding you back and think about how to overcome them for each.
• Don’t set your goal too high. Small steps work better than big ones.
• Give yourself time to let the new habit take hold.
• Mobilize your environment to encourage and assist you.
• Be inspired by others who have already achieved the goal.
• Will the new behavior remain difficult? Discuss with your practitioner how they can help you.