The Challenges of Starting a New Pattern of Behavior

I am a non-runner all the way.  I look at runners and just don't get it, partially with envy, partially with a judgemental tone.  So when I made it a goal of mine to try and 'get it' this summer, I signed myself up for the 'couch to 5k' program, and committed myself to running my first ever 5k at the end of the summer. 

This has presented some new challenges for me.  Some, I've fully embraced.  Others, not so much.  The one challenge that so many face today in our society is the challenge of starting a new behavioral pattern.  For me, in this instance, the program I am following calls for me to jog/run 3x/week for a period of 20 minutes.  Shouldn't be a big deal, right?  No, it shouldn't be, but I've mastered the excuses in just 2 short weeks as to why today just isn't a good day to run, and it looks like tomorrow might not be either.

What are the challenges we face when we try to introduce something completely new into our lives? What are the difficulties when we are trying to replace a bad habit with a better one?

I find that we tend to be our biggest challenge.  Someone recently said to me that the day it is most important for me to run is the day I least want to... what wise words those were!  The most important factor in making behavioral changes successful is making sure that the body wins out over the mind.  What I mean by this is that you don't really have to be 'ready' mentally to create a change. You just have to 'act as if' you are!  The second my mind outwits my body, i've lost that battle.  I can outsmart my mind, if you will, by putting my body into motion with the new pattern I am wanting to create.  Once my body is in motion, the mind becomes engaged in a way that isn't self-defeating, but rather is supportive of the change.  Sounds complicated, right? It is actually easier than you might think. In the same way that actors can change their personality, voice, and looks to bring about a different character, we can do the same technique to change our behavior.  By "acting as if" you are healthier, or a non-smoker, or a runner, the body creates the pattern, and the brain follows after. Try this experiment:  On a day that you are feeling down and less energized, 'act as if' you have the energy. Dedicate yourself to this experiment for 1 hour.  Go up to people and shake hands, start conversations with coworkers, call up old friends, smile at passersby.  By putting the body through the motions, the brain will eventually catch up and follow the bodys lead.  By the end of the hour, if not sooner, you will find yourself in a more pleasing mood than the one you started out with!

I will be running today, despite the heat, feeling tired, the laundry's piling up, etc.  I will be running because today is an important day for me to run, simply because my brain says it doesn't want to.  I know as I'm entering my 3rd week of training for a 5k, that I will be glad I did run once it is done, which tells me that my brain is starting to follow my bodys lead, and that the new behavioral pattern is starting to become more and more concrete.

Tammy Greene is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.  Please feel free to respond with related comments or questions to askTammyanything@gmail.com .   Also, if you  have questions that you would like to have addressed in the next blog, please submit a brief description of your situation. Tammy will pick one submission per week to respond to. You may also reach Tammy through her website at www.tgperspectives.com .