In the event you’re struggling to construct wholesome meals habits, that doesn’t imply there’s one thing unsuitable with you. It would simply imply that the setting round you is setting you as much as fail.
I examine this not too long ago in James Clear’s guide Atomic Habits. He wrote a couple of hospital in Massachusetts that wished to encourage its employees and sufferers to make higher drink selections within the cafeteria. As an alternative of telling them, “Cease consuming soda—drink water as a substitute!” the hospital repositioned the water bottles close to the checkout and across the room to make them extra seen. That small environmental change elevated water gross sales by 25.7% and decreased soda gross sales by 11.4%.
That research is a superb reminder that making it simple to entry more healthy selections can encourage individuals to make higher selections. I take advantage of this trick to assist me enhance my well being (one thing I’ve struggled with my complete life). At dwelling, I preserve more healthy snacks on the primary shelf of my fridge for straightforward entry whereas storing “solely generally” treats out of sight within the pantry. At work, our quick access to contemporary fruit encourages me to choose up a banana or apple once I’m hungry. If there have been sweet bars in our break room, I’d decide these as a substitute.
Atomic Habits is a superb guide to learn if you happen to’re trying to make a optimistic change in your personal life or encourage it in your workplace. Clear focuses on how tiny, incremental adjustments can result in transformative outcomes. I liked the environmental design tip, however one other worthwhile technique Clear shares is “behavior stacking,” which entails pairing a brand new behavior with an previous, established one to assist the brand new behavior stick.
Lex, the advertising and marketing specialist behind The FruitGuys’ blogs and emails, does this by holding her nutritional vitamins by her espresso maker. Each morning when she makes her espresso (the established behavior) she additionally takes her nutritional vitamins (the brand new behavior). As a result of she stacked these habits, she by no means skips the nutritional vitamins in her morning routine. So, if you happen to see me doing squats whereas making espresso within the break room, comprehend it’s simply my model of behavior stacking!
What do you suppose: Are there methods you’ll be able to tweak your setting to help the wholesome meals habits you wish to create, both at work or at dwelling? In the event you give you one thing to strive, reply to this e-mail to let me know and preserve me posted on the way it goes. I’d love to listen to your insights.
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