Health and Mental Health through Habits

A recent study by the University of South Australia has concluded that exercise is 1.5 times as effective as therapy or pharmaceutical intervention for treating depression and other mental conditions. This conforms with so much anecdotal evidence, it’s hard to challenge.

But we are living creatures where ‘economy of effort’ - said more directly, laziness - is built into our DNA. A lack of exercise and poor food options come with a huge cost, to ourselves, and to society. The World Obesity Atlas predicts that the cost of world obesity will reach $4.3 trillion by 2035. Over half the world’s population will be overweight or obese by 2035. Add to that the allure of instant gratification and we as a species seem doomed.

But there is hope. Setting aside marketing pitches for miracle diets and medications to manage heart disease, diabetes and cancer, diet and exercise can become part of anyone’s routine. Diet and exercise, yeah we’ve heard this before. Between kids, the job, bills, and a few hours to escape into Netflix, diet and exercise are too much. How do we jump THAT bar? It’s a fair question. Life can get in the way of our aspirations.

Years ago - I was 24 - a mentor said to me, “As we get older, we change our habits. The key to achieving the life we want is to decide now what our habits are going to be, a year, five years, ten years from now. Focus on your habits. They will define you.” This may be the best advice I received, ever.

Every life coach or business coach worth their salt will tell us that small changes in habits set the path. James Clear, author of the best-selling book “Atomic Habits” is a big advocate for small habits changes. “Continuous improvement” employs the powerful compounding formula that shows mathematically how a 1% daily increase in productivity results in a 37X improvement in effectiveness, in one year! On the other hand, a daily regression of 1% - regular drug or alcohol use for example - will bring you to 3% of your year-earlier effectiveness. Small steps matter. Compounding isn’t just for your bank account.

Two key ingredients to deciding to consider new habits and invest in ourselves are: recognizing the upside / downside trend lines, and conceiving small habits that support our goals. To come back around to the mental health benefit and the obesity harm, let’s return to diet and exercise.

I have a sweet tooth. And I love chocolate. And my wife loves to bake; her two specials? …chocolate chip cookies and brownies. This is a deadly combination; I’m not going to say “Just say No.” It’s not that easy. But when I go grocery shopping, I know that everything I buy will end up, eventually, going down my throat. So where I used to buy oreos, vienna fingers, or heathbar crunch, I now spend more time in the produce aisle. Today, going down the cookie aisle has little appeal. Little habits leave room for brownies.

Exercise has different appeals for different people. One of our children has taken up my former addiction, running. Runners know dopamine, that euphoric neurotransmitter; weight lifters chase the satisfaction of PB’s - personal bests, and most team players savor the group experience and camaraderie of hard won victories. If these aren’t for you, how about a walk around the block? Two when you’re ready? Twenty next year? Or a game of pickleball for the social connection? Finding a recreation that gets the heart pumping can be an iterative effort, but effort always yields results. Small steps.

In closing, consider the advice they give you when you fly: “Affix your oxygen mask for yourself first, before attending to children or others around you.” Good advice. Take responsibility for your own health, reduce dependency on doctors or miracle drug sales. Decide tomorrow's habits today. Live long and prosper.

Other resources:

Improving Yourself Takes 9.6 Minutes of Work Each Day

https://www.entrepreneur.com/living/it-takes-96-minutes-of-work-each-day-to-lead-and-live/430737

James Clear on habits: https://youtu.be/jcTs7n3YYrc “The cost of your good habits is in the present. The cost of bad habits is in the future.”