Wellbeing behaviours – habits, responsibilities and motivations
If we want to be well, we need to take care of our physical and mental states. At The Hour we believe this means forming daily habits in four wellbeing foundations: physical fitness, mind, nutrition, and sleep.
By habits we mean behaviours. But not all behaviours are habits. One of the reasons our corporate wellbeing clients and their employees struggle with forming wellbeing habits is that there is a misunderstanding around what a habit is.
Some of our behaviours or actions are done automatically (habit), some are done out of needing to (responsibility), and some because we are incentivised to (motivation).Beliefs, thoughts, words, actions, habits to values
"Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny." – Gandhi.
This quote illustrates perfectly how some actions become embedded in who we are. These are actions taken automatically - behavioural patterns which are repeated and become imprinted in neural pathways.
Waking up at a certain time each day without an alarm, having the same breakfast each day and biting nails are all examples of repetitive behaviours done automatically for the most part – habits.
To care for our wellbeing, we need to carry out behaviours - conscious and subconscious which support our wellbeing. And for wellbeing to become more than something we dip into now and then (a class, a massage etc.), these behaviours need to become accumulative automatic actions – habits.
40 years ago, it was believed that it takes 21 days on average to form a habit. In the 21st century, new research revealed that it takes around 66 days. However, each of us is different. Ultimately, it takes time, conscious effort and an understanding of our behaviours.
Motivation driven behaviours
The Olympics is the pinnacle of motivation driven behaviour. The reward of a gold medal and being accepted as the best in the world at a given sport is a huge motivator. And most sports competitions tap in to this motivation. This reward-based desire to take certain actions and behaviours is known as extrinsic motivation.
However, some of our behaviours are driven by intrinsic motivation. This is the internal reward for carrying out a specific behaviour such as meditating. Reading a book for the pleasure of story-unfolding, going for a run because of simple enjoyment, or doing yoga because you love the practice are all examples of internal reward.
These motivation-driven actions form less of our daily choices than behaviours through responsibility or habit. But these reward-based actions often play a crucial role in the formation of habits – usually the starting point.
What we do out of responsibility
Doing something often and consciously isn’t a habit. For instance, we brush our teeth through responsibility not habit. Each night we put our children to bed or walk the dog out of responsibility - not habit.
Our wellbeing can be influenced by the conscious actions and decisions we take out of responsibility. And in the early stages of improving lifestyle, how we undertake our responsibilities is crucial. For example, choosing to have a healthy breakfast each day requires planning the food, purchasing the ingredients and waking up in time to prepare and/or eat your breakfast. These are all conscious actions out of responsibility (to eat, to cook).
Habit comes in when the choice of breakfast is automatically a healthy one, when the food choices when shopping are healthy ones. And this comes from repeated behaviours.
How do the three types of behaviours combine to help wellbeing?
Take a look at your responsibilities which could affect your wellbeing. Food is the ideal starting point. You have a responsibility to yourself to eat or feed your family. However, you may have developed a habit of not eating breakfast or perhaps lunch. The times you eat and what you eat are influenced by habits. Keep a week’s food diary noting food consumed, times and how long you spent eating meals – where you were – the environment (desk, restaurant, dinner table).
Now, let’s look at your motivations to change current behaviours and eat more nutritiously. Note down why you want to improve your nutrition – current health issues, avoiding future health issues, fat loss and other aesthetic goals. Perhaps you have an event or occasion coming up that you’d like to have as a target date to implement changes and feel the benefits. Or, come up with a reward for yourself for meeting nutritional goals for 4 weeks – a weekend away, new clothing etc. These are your extrinsic motivations – external rewards for improving your diet.
Next, note intrinsic reasons for changing your nutrition: eating more of what you like the taste of, having the time to cook fresh meals – the enjoyment in cooking, your desire to feel more satiated and having more energy.
Address the habits which currently affect your nutritional wellbeing: processed ready-made meals, habit of eating the same thing each day, eating at your desk etc.
Look at the list and choose 3-4 habits which you choose to change in the coming weeks. Note, how you will change these – perhaps setting time aside at weekends to cook from scratch for the week. Perhaps lunch dates in the diary with friends who work in the same area, or getting up 30 minutes earlier to eat breakfast at home.
Give yourself the best environment to achieve these few changes to your habits. And keep returning to your motivations as a reminder of why you’re choosing to make these changes.
Four weeks later do another food diary and see what changes you’ve implemented – you’ll be surprised.
Forming habits takes time. And whilst habits are automatic behaviours, it is concious motivators and an awareness of our responsibilities that leads to these.
If you'd like to learn more about how we work with employers to instil wellbeing habits in the workplace, get in touch.