WHAT IS A CHOICE?
Life is nothing more than a sum of unpredictable events. Everyday you have to make choices, you have to pick the right things to suit your day and lifestyle. But what does it mean you can choose? It’s the action of mentally making a decision. You opt in for one way or another.
Every choice has a consequence and in time creates a habit. The effects of choosing can be immediate, short, medium or long term. But there is always a result of making a certain decision about that something in your life. Be it what shirt to wear today or to have or not to have breakfast this morning (and by the way, you totally should!).
As time goes by, every habit becomes automated. Think things like brushing your teeth twice a day, waking up at a certain hour or always adding honey to your tea. You do those things without even thinking, or while you’re thinking about something else. They’ve become second nature. Every habit eventually leads to a change in your life.
You make a choice, it becomes a habit and all of a sudden you live its consequences. It changed you in one way or another.
ABOUT HABITS AND THEIR QUIRKS
There are good habits and there are bad habits. Having one or the other is (you guessed it!) a matter of choice. You have the power to decide what, how, why and when you do. It has nothing to do with your willpower, but with repetition. Persistence is key. Do a thing over and over and it becomes second nature. It becomes who you are.
A habit is in fact the creation of new neural pathways in your brain. By making a choice and repeating it constantly for a certain amount of time, you signal your brain to learn it and make it part of your daily routine. You learn and then you master. But it does take time.
Studies say that it can last between 21 and 90 days, depending on its difficulty and on your resistance. What is that? It’s that little voice inside your head that tells you that you can’t do something, that it’s too early in the morning or that it can be postponed for a later day. It’s basically what you should call procrastination or not being in the mood to do a certain thing.
But it can be conquered. Through repetition. You try it again and again until it sticks with you. Let’s say you decided to quit sugar. You start by not eating any foods that contain it. A day, two, three, four pass by and you are making progress. But on the fifth you go out and a friend is having cheesecake for dessert. You crave it and give in, telling yourself that it’s just this time. And then you feel bad about eating it and ruining your progress. Stop it right now!
Allow yourself to feel bad about it, but don’t give up. Don’t use it as an excuse to quit. Enjoy that cheesecake today, it’s OK. The world as you know it is not over. But tomorrow start again. From the beginning. When you’ll understand that is OK to fail and that you have the power to choose what happens, you will persevere and achieve your goal. The simple thought that you can do it is your reward.
Let’s say that in reading this article you think about some bad habits that you are not so proud of. Your thoughts are something like: “How can I make good choices and have good habits if I do this and this all wrong?!”. There is hope for you, my friend!
Every bad habit can be replaced by a good one. Step by step. One by one. Every day, choose to do one thing the good way. Start with something small and easy.
For example, you drink tea with two tablespoons of sugar. This time, put only one teaspoon. Repeat it daily and in time, when you got used to the one spoon, replace it with honey. Then repeat. And so on, until your brain learns and your taste buds get used to the change. To make it even easier, attach a new habit to one that is already established. It helps build the new one.
Decide what bad habits you want to change and work on them one by one. Don’t rush it and don’t do more habits at the same time. Take it slow and steady. In time, you’ll get to see results and will be happy how your life has changed for the better. Reward yourself for doing it, be kind to yourself. You’ll get there. Have faith!
HOW I CHANGED
In my case, after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, I chose to get informed, to know my “enemy”, understand it and be able to make smart choices for my lifestyle. That included food, exercise and relaxation choices, very different from what I was used to up until then.
Those choices led to new good habits that replaced the old bad ones. Those new habits led to changing my lifestyle from the inside out. It’s a process. It didn’t happen overnight. After a year, I am only just begining.
But the results are worth it. I am more confident and have more self-worth. I am more self-aware, I am calm and getting in control of my emotions. My fitness has improved and little by little my body is getting stronger. Multiple sclerosis might “wake up to say hi”, but I know it now, I know that this too shall pass. I will adapt and overcome it. Always. When fighting a war, you have to prepare.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO START?
Read as much as possible, be informed before you make choices, especially concerning your health and managing your multiple sclerosis. With or without a chronic illness, you must choose wisely. Have a purpose and work at it daily through your decisions. Remember, choices become habits that in time change your life.
Go practice, make choices, create change!
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As always, transformation starts from within.
With love,
Alexandra