Dr. Michelle Kmiec – Over time in this crazy, fast-paced world it’s easy to develop bad habits. Many are triggered by particular major setbacks in life such as the loss of a job, friends that let us down, broken relationships, perceived failures, or the death of a loved one. It may even come out of a less serious circumstance such as being too busy with work and/or family matters, an injury, or maybe just having too much fun even though we know that it is at the expense of our health and will catch up with us.
It is no wonder that hundreds of thousands of people per year experience depression, anxiety, pain syndromes, and even worse!

Any of these things can leave us feeling distraught, even ready to give up on life because over time we can lose that inner sense of well-being.

When we find ourselves in this mindset, we have a tendency to try to escape the pain by dulling our senses. So, we might start smoking again, drink excessively, eat comfort foods that we know are not healthy choices, and at this point, we simply have no energy to even think about being physically active.

Sound familiar?

Well, don’t feel bad. This has happened to all of us at one time or another and honestly, as long as these moments are temporary, they usually only represent a small bump in the road. In these times don’t be so hard on yourself and allow yourself to move through this process without guilt.

However, it’s important to know when it is time to get back on the horse and continue living hopefully, a bit wiser, stronger and eager to move forward as new chapters of your life begin to unfold.

Though for some, finding the way back can become the hardest thing they have ever had to do. And sometimes they find themselves completely lost.

It’s important to note that if you find yourself in this position, especially if you feel you may want to harm yourself, you need to immediately seek the guidance of a trained professional. You are NOT and NEVER are alone!

Though it can be tough to get back on track for any number of reasons, it is exactly what you need to do. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to start, especially when it seems like there are just too many things that need to be changed. And when it becomes overwhelming, the result is often no action at all.

But there is a way to get back on track, even when we feel overwhelmed by too many details and it is amazingly simple: Let go of one – Introduce one! Making many changes at once can be daunting, but we can all handle one at a time!

And this brings us to an activity that I believe will help guide you back on a healthier life’s path.

All I ask is that you have an open mind AND the willingness to Let Go and the desire to Introduce.

Ready?

Let go of one – Introduce one!

Here is how this activity works:

Every week you will replace a bad habit you are trying to eliminate that does not support life with one that does support life. And don’t worry, this will be easier than you think because not only are you only changing one thing at a time, but you are also replacing it with something. So that feeling of “void” or “lose” that can easily happen when making life changes won’t be as apparent.

First, make a list of at least 10 bad habits that you know you need to break, and that you believe are related to your pain or discomfort whether physical or emotional. Then note the reasons why you want to break these bad habits, and how they make you feel.

This is actually key because without addressing and acknowledging the consequences of the bad habit, it never truly becomes real to your subconscious.  Missing this element is likely why so many attempts at breaking bad habits fail. You may say you wish to change the habit consciously, but your subconscious is not aligned with your desire.

Perhaps it looks something like this:

Spend less time watching TV.

• I feel like I am watching other people live their lives rather than living my own.

Spend less time playing games on my iPad, Computer, etc. I spend a majority of my day looking at screens of one form or another.

• I feel disconnected from reality.

Go to bed early. I’d love to wake up with the sun.

• I feel as if I am sleeping through a good portion of my life.

Limit the time I spend eating junk food on the couch. When did I stop being an active person?

• This makes me feel lazy, fat and depressed.

Stop drinking too much. Life has been so hard for me and drinking is my escape.

• But now I feel as if it is taking over my life and I feel am ready to regain control and really begin living!

Next, make a list of all the good habits that you’d like to either implement back into your life or introduce for the first time. Note the reasons why you want to introduce these good habits along with how they make you feel.

It may look something like this:

• Read more books, because reading an actual book rather than looking at a flickering screen is a physical activity that engages my eyes in a healthy fashion. Plus this will allow me to feel like I am on vacation from Electromagnetic Fields of technology.
• Rest my eyes more often by allowing myself to gaze out at nature. I feel that because my eyes are looking at screens all day, I am missing all of the beauty that nature has to offer, and by taking these moments I feel like I have more control over my life.
• Wake up earlier so that I can enjoy more of the daylight hours because I feel that this will give me more energy.
• Walk at least 1 mile per day, because I’d like to be more physically active. This will make me feel like I am more actively involved with my health.
• Engage in my favorite sport, because I have forgotten how exciting it can be. This makes me feel alive!
• Try a new group fitness class, perhaps kick-boxing or spinning, because I have always been afraid to try something new and stepping to the other side of that fear will make me feel like I can do anything!

Then each week, simply make the choice to remove one bad habit and replace it with one good one! We can all easily change at least one thing making this activity extremely obtainable for everyone!

SF Source Wake Up World Apr 2019