Change Your Mind, Change Your Life
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Reward Yourself
When you’re struggling to break old habits, remind yourself frequently of the benefits that will come with achieving your goals. It will get you through the dark times when you’d rather watch TV with a plate of nachos than go for a walk.
Once you achieve a first small step, celebrate your success in some way. That’s one thing I try to do. After most walks, I reward myself with a few minutes to read and relax. Reading is something I love, but rarely took time for in the past.
How to Stick With It: |
Bigger achievements call for bigger rewards. Choose
something positive that makes you feel good –
get a massage, soak in a hot tub, or buy yourself flowers or new workout clothes.
As for me, I’m still eating pizza. But now I have just a slice (OK, sometimes two) with a salad and some pear wedges, and I am cooking more healthy meals at home. My exercise goal is realistic: I am committed to doing at least 20 minutes of daily activity, which includes anything that gets my heart going and my joints moving. This allows me to be creative and flexible, depending upon my physical strength, mood and schedule.
My body already is feeling stronger and more energetic. But I also feel surprisingly empowered, centered and proud that I finally am being proactive and doing something good for my health.
“We naturally resist change,” Stibich says. “It takes a certain level of faith to recognize that everything is kind of shifting, but that it will be OK. The success you feel carries over, and a lot of it isn’t in the specifics of what you changed, but in the sense of control you have over your life.”
Meet 3 other people with arthritis making changes in their lives, and follow
their progress throughout the year at the Arthritis Today Achieving Change blog.
