Creatures of Habit

We are creatures of habit. We tend to be predictable and gravitate to the familiar. We have our preferences for the shows we watch, the food we eat, what time we wake up each day, and the clothes we wear. The same can be said for how we treat ourselves when it comes to illness, pain, discomfort, exercise, diet, and sleep. We have been conditioned to take pharmaceuticals when we experience pain or discomfort, jump on the latest fad diet when we want to lose a few pounds, join a gym as part of our new year’s resolutions, and minimize the importance of getting adequate sleep each night. Yet, our society is facing a health crisis with an increase in obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, allergies, and migraines. Still, many of us choose to be that creature of habit.

There is a famous quote by Albert Einstein that sums up that path of habit we may find ourselves on ~ “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Habits come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good for us and some are not. But like any habit, they start somewhere, take hold of us, and stay. The key is recognizing which is good and which is bad and weeding out those habits that are self-defeating. But what if we don’t know whether a certain habit is necessarily good or bad for us? Did we really take the time and effort to understand more fully if a particular diet did more good than harm? Or did we rely on advertising, preconceived ideas, and immediate gratification?

Remember these past trends:

• Adkins Diet
• South Beach Diet
• Tab
• Olestra
• Fat Melting Jiggle Machines

Each were enticing because of its potential. We wanted fast, we wanted convenience, we wanted results. If an advertisement said it could help us achieve our goals, then we believed it. Why would we question such claims? Edgar Allan Poe said it best, “Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear.” The reality is that we still need to rely on our common sense and critical thinking to sift through the information to find the truth. The freedom we have lies in that gift.

Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t want that magic pill to fix whatever problem we might have. It certainly would make our lives a lot easier. However, it would also take away our accountability and self-reliance. plus allow someone to make a lot of money off of our shortcomings. The truth is that good health doesn’t come in a pill. It comes in the form of disciplined effort from ourselves. We cannot expect that an advertisement for a particular product or pharmaceutical will save us. It merely scratches the surface of our overall wellness.

Stop spinning in circles. Do not limit yourself with potentially skewed information. Advocate for yourself when it comes to your most prized possession – your health.