We know that the choices we make today can affect our health in the future. The challenge is we have a tendency to favor immediate gratification. That can make eating a fast-food meal, skipping a workout, or staying up too late harder to resist. The satisfaction we gain feels more important in the moment than the health consequences that may come years later.
So, how can we stop ourselves from putting off our long-term health for the temptations of today? We have to narrow the gap between our future and present self.
Bridging the gap.
When we tie future benefits to the present moment, we can use our habit loop to help create new behaviors. One way to do this is by building immediate benefits and rewards into each of the Habits of Health, which are designed to provide long-term benefits. In essence, if we can create short-term incentives that support our long-term goals for health and wellbeing, we can help keep our ancient brain in check.
For example, we know the long-term benefits of taking a walk, such as lowering your risk of disease, improving heart health, and supporting overall health and wellbeing. We also know that even a short period of activity can give you more energy, reduce stress, improve your mood, and give you a sense of accomplishment. This is where we can connect a long-term benefit to an immediate reward. When we make that connection, we give ourselves a reason to repeat the behavior, helping turn a healthy choice into a new healthy habit.
The same approach can help us eliminate unwanted habits.
We know that eating a cheeseburger and fries is a Habit of Disease and can therefore create disease in the future. We also know that after consuming fast food, we can develop a high-fat hangover that ruins how we feel and perform for the rest of the day. Tying the short-term negative or present effect on us to the long-term negative effect gives us a powerful reason to discontinue a negative behavior. Then, the next time you are deciding what to eat, you may remember how that choice made you feel, and what it could mean years from now.
Another approach is to connect the habit to something we care about right now. Imagine agreeing to walk every morning with a friend. When the alarm goes off, getting out of bed may be the last thing you want to do. But knowing your friend is waiting for you creates an immediate consequence if you don’t show up. That sense of responsibility can help you follow through.
Journal, track and reflect on everyday moments.
Taking time to identify what worked for you or how a choice made you feel can help you make a healthier choice the next time you face a similar situation. And remember, developing new habits takes time. We don’t have to change everything at once. Breaking your Habits of Health into small microHabits can make the process more manageable and gradual. Just keep making one small choice at a time.
When we find ways to experience the benefits of healthy choices today, we make it easier to choose them again tomorrow. Over time, those small choices add up, helping us build the Habits of Health that support the future we want.