It’s freezing in Denver this week! The low temperature this morning was -2 and the high is only 13 degrees! Spending time outside is painful – my ears, nose, fingers, and toes physically hurt, even though I’m bundled up. My nose runs so much I need a tissue, but it’s too difficult to get one out of my pocket with my super puffy gloves on. It’s hard to breathe and I sound like I’ve just done 30 minutes of cardio from only walking down the street. Why would anyone want to be outside in such cold temperatures when there’s so many benefits to being inside where it’s warm and cozy?

People frequently ask themselves the same types of questions when they’re trying to make a change from less healthy behaviors to more healthy habits – we can think of so many reasons why we should make a change and none for why we should stay the same. For example exercise has huge benefits for your body and mind, including reducing health risks, feeling better, losing weight, looking better, having more muscle tone, getting stronger, sleeping better… the list goes on and on. It can make it difficult to see what we’re getting out of staying the same by continuing to engage in our less healthy behaviors. 

But it can be really important to identify our reasons for staying the same. Let’s continue the example from above: What am I getting out of not exercising? Some people are using the time that they would be exercising for other types of self-care, like de-stressing by reading a book, watching their favorite show, or playing games online. Others are already short on sleep and waking up early to exercise would mean they would get even less rest. Self-care, managing stress, and sleep are all needs – we must make sure these needs are regularly being met. Any attempt to add in exercise without meeting these other needs is doomed to fail – you will stop the exercise once the negative effects of stress or sleep deprivation become overwhelming. Therefore, it is really important to recognize the benefits from your less healthy habits so you can make plans on how to still meet your needs once you start with healthier behaviors. 

What was I getting from being out in the cold? Mostly it comes down to stress relief – enjoying the sunshine (my office doesn’t have any windows), a bit of exercise, a break from the breakneck pace of the day, and being able to commune with the chickadees in the trees around me. If I can make sure to add in stress management breaks like meditating and being mindful during the workday, I don’t need to risk becoming a Patty-cicle outside.

So what habit do you want to change and what benefits are you getting from not changing? I’d love to know… comment below – give me your reasons for not changing and how you could possibly meet those needs a different way.