Most people who make lifestyle changes eventually hit the wall. The wall is that place where you feel like the changes you’re making aren’t making a difference, where you feel discouraged, or tempted to just give up. Hitting the wall is so common, and this is why fad diets fail at such a high rate. This begs the question, how do we break through the wall and keep going? How do we push through and keep making the changes necessary to becoming healthier and happier?
In the 1980’s, researchers Carlo C DiClemente and J.O. Prochaska created a six-stage model of behavior change to help professionals understand and aid clients facing addiction. This model can be applied to all behavior and habit change.
Checking in with yourself throughout your journey, daily and weekly, and analyzing what is and isn’t working is the first step to avoiding The Wall. If you find yourself engaging in a change that is tiresome or you find yourself doing it begrudgingly, check in and ask yourself, ask yourself what it is about the change that is causing you to push against it and examine that. Change is non-linear and sometimes we must take a step back before moving forward. The changes you are making start internally. Ask yourself if this is a change you need right now, or if your energy would be best focused on another aspect. Examining the challenges we come against, internal or external, and examining our approach to a challenge can allow us to further understand where we are in the stages of change and how to ensure we have what we need to succeed. Join us this week as we further explore ways to avoid hitting the wall and ensure success in your journey to wellness.