How to make lifestyle changes

Just a few steps can help you become healthier and more productive. Many people find that healthy habits are the hardest to adjust to. The first couple of days it’s easy to work out and eat healthy foods, but later on it gets harder and harder. So, how about giving up a healthy lifestyle? Sure, it can be done. But only those who live by such rules enjoy life and feel much better.

That said, there is a misconception that such a lifestyle requires tremendous willpower. But it isn’t. In fact, you can become healthy and productive by doing what you like. The key is to follow a few basic requirements that will help you change your lifestyle.

Willpower has nothing to do with it

You don’t have to think that giving up pleasure is the right thing to do. All the examples of monks taking their vows or soldiers bravely going into battle are irrelevant in this case. Self-discipline does not have to be accompanied by suffering and abandonment of favourite things or activities. The very attitude “self-discipline equals suffering” was relevant in the Middle Ages, when only deprivation and prohibitions could discipline people.

Now, however, such a principle is outdated and only detrimental. People are ashamed if they cannot control themselves and fulfil their desires. But the idea of self-hatred to submit to important principles does not work and must be abandoned.

There is no need to be ashamed

Yes, initially self-discipline through shame and limiting one’s desires can bring results. But after a while it will have the opposite effect. It is worth understanding that shame is a serious stressor for a person. And when it reaches a critical point, we will have to face a choice: to give in to desires or to try to stifle internal conflict. This usually involves parties, alcohol and other unhelpful things. Some begin to eat a lot, others spend all their free time at the computer.

But all this gives short-term results, because shame cannot be completely suppressed. As a result a person loses physical and mental health. But changing your lifestyle takes a long time to maintain your motivation. You will be able to do this if you don’t limit yourself in your basic desires.

Embrace yourself

This is one of the ground rules. In order to change behaviour, you have to stop hating yourself for your bad habits. Loving delicious food does not make a person bad. Therefore, you need to understand yourself and accept the fact that it is possible to change in the future.

However, it will be difficult again later on. When you have managed to separate emotions from moral judgments, you will have to understand what problem has been keeping you down all this time. Why was there a desire to eat or smoke all the time? Was it due to some inner fears? The quicker you can find the answer, the easier it will be to change your lifestyle.

Taking care of yourself

When you have done all the previous steps, you can start taking care of yourself. Better yet, you can learn to love yourself. This way you can start taking care of yourself and you won’t need any willpower. In this case, a person will always want to lead a healthy lifestyle. It makes you feel good. Eat fruits and vegetables? Why not, because they make the body healthier. Exercise is good for your body. And it is definitely better than drinking alcohol or playing computer games.

With self-care, a person will no longer try to suppress their fears or run away from them. Instead, he or she will want to change his or her lifestyle without too much self-control and restrictions.