Ep 87. Why behaviour change is harder than it looks

If you're someone who judges yourself harshly and says things like, "I just don't have any willpower", or "I can't stick with anything for long enough to make it work" then this episode is for you.

There's so much more to behaviour than meets the eye and it's easy to think we're at fault when can't stick with behaviours until they become habit.

What few of us realise is that all of our habits developed in the context of our environments - so they're shaped by how we were raised, what we were taught, how we learned to fit in and belong, how we learned to manage our emotions...and a thousand other things.

Not only that but our current environment changes how we feel about the behaviour in the moment of deciding whether or not to do it.

When I'm working to help my clients change their behaviour in order to be happier, healthier and more productive, I teach them my B=SET behaviour change model to help them understand the many factors at play in driving their behavioural choices. I touch on the model briefly in this episode.

B=SET

It stands for Behaviour = State + Environment + Time

State - How you're thinking and feeling in that moment

Environment - Everything and everyone around you.

Time - Your history with that behaviour and where you're focusing your attention (in the past, present or future)

Much more on this model in later episodes!

Environment

This week I talk about how, if you want to live a healthier, happier life, you're almost definitely going to have to "swim against the tide" of your environment.

This is exhausting and requires enormous willpower - which is a finite resource.

The key to behaviour change, therefore, lies is your ability to either disconnect from your environmental influences or shape them in your favour.

 

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Show notes available at bighappylife.co.uk