Why Is It So Hard To Change Habit

Making a significant change in ones habit can at times be a deflating, exhausting experience. Feelings of worry, fear, and uncertainty often weigh us down, making any slip up seem personal. And, if you’ve been trying to change a habit for a long period of time, it becomes tempting to believe that the it just can’t be done. This kind of thinking can cause you to settle for less or even give up on your desire altogether – which ensures that the habit you really want to create will remain as yet another ‘Someday’ dream.

Any time you compromise like this, judgment day is sure to follow. You’re inner critic will say things like, “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t have what it takes” or “What’s wrong with me?” You’ll convince yourself that you don’t have the time to keep trying because of everything else you’ve already got on your plate. This kind of negative self-talk undermines your sense of purpose because when you feel unhappy, frustrated or dissatisfied, it colors everything you do – and that can affect your overall quality of life. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY! No matter how challenging this seems or how long it takes, you can keep your Self positive, engaged, and empowered while implementing a new habit.

How? Through the practice of Self-care. Notice that we use a capital ‘S’ in reference to the word Self. Self with a capital ‘S’ represents the spirit within - the essence inside each of us that gives us a sense of fulfillment and joy. Your Self speaks to you through your wants, desires, and dreams – recognized as instinct or intuition. So any time you give up on something important to you – something your heart longs for - you actually begin to lose energy and that sense of fulfillment that’s already within you. And the longer you ignore it, the more dissatisfied and unhappy you become.

Self-care means that through both thought and action, you are nurturing and supporting your whole self. The concept of “whole self” implies that you are more than just a physical body. Of course it’s important to meet your basic physical needs with practices such as getting enough rest, exercising regularly and eating nutritious foods, but the physical is only one aspect of who you are. It’s just as important to take care of your desires for mental and emotional well-being, spiritual enrichment, love and intimacy, playtime, and creative expression. Taking care of these parts of your Self as well invigorates your sense of aliveness, gives you the energy and stamina to handle any challenge and empowers you to keep moving toward your dream.

Action: Begin to observe the areas of your life where you feel dissatisfied, unfulfilled or depleted. Make a list of the top 3 areas that you would like to experience a positive change.