April is National Stress Awareness Month, so I’ll get right to the point: How ironic is it that telling people to exercise to reduce stress during Stress Awareness Month can actually stress people out more and motivates them to run away from exercising?
According to a recent Stress in America poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, stress levels are the highest they’ve been in over 15 years. It’s no surprise that we’re all feeling the pressure from the steady drumbeat of the last two years of living in a constant state of crisis and uncertainty.
We’ve all heard the same advice: healthier eating, exercise, meditating and other self-care activities are all the things we should be doing to reduce this relentless stress. In fact, studies have shown that even 15 minutes of running can decrease the risk of depression by 26 percent! Even only five minutes of physical activity can reduce anxiety.
Given that it doesn’t take much to experience these immediate benefits to our mental states, why don’t we just do it? The answer is simple: our belief systems on this topic are strongly rooted. For decades, the messages from researchers, clinicians, and the media have prescribed exercise in ways that promote all-or-nothing thinking. This mindset has become entrenched across people around the world. That’s why I created the Joy Choice.
The irony is that even with new research that goes against this thinking, and new prescriptions from clinicians that something really is is better than nothing when it comes to being active, as individuals we still feel like we are still failing when we don’t hit a bulls-eye or can’t do it “all.”
So many of us have internalized unrealistic goals and ideal visions of perfection when it comes to exercising. We believe we need to “look fit” before we even enter the gym. We may experience self-consciousness or even shame at the mere thought of it. This unfortunate entrenched belief system reflects the outdated story of behavior change. Ironically, it doesn’t just stop us in our tracks, it also prevents us from receiving the incredible numerous benefits from consistent exercise.
No matter how motivated we are to stick with our eating and exercise choices when we make decide to make a change, that fragile bubble bursts on contact with everyday life. We live in the far-from-ideal real world: the dog needs, a vet visit, a child needs help with math homework now, we have to the last-minute urgent meeting or work task … the list of unexpected calls on our time goes on and on. And the predictable loser here is self-care activities.
We need a next-generation strategy that is potent enough to break through and bust up that outdated, petrified belief system. This strategy needs not only to be based on the best emerging science, it has to be “reality-tested” and engaging enough to speak to our minds and our hearts. Enter the Joy Choice.
The Joy Choice strategy embodies the new beliefs science suggests best lead to lasting changes in eating and exercise: that flexibility coupled with dynamic and forgiving approaches—not strict adherence to a rigid set of rules—is the real key to sustaining our eating and exercise goals. And guess what? Flexibility and joy, play and having fun, are the ultimate stress relievers!
The Joy Choice strategy recognizes that the choices we make in the moment are not necessarily going to be ideal. It provides a decision tool that calls for choosing the perfect imperfect option that will keep us headed toward and consistent with our goals, and will also allow us to meet our other real-life needs. These dynamic and playful strategies that don’t just keep us on the path of lasting change, they keeps us in sync with ourselves, and allow us to meet not only our own needs but the needs of those we love and value.
I am thrilled that my new book about the Joy Choice strategy is being described as “full of humanity,” “joyful,” “fun and easy,” and a “smart science-based approach to sustainable change.” (You can get a sneak peek here.) And if you’d like a taste of what we’ll be talking about, and get some insights into what may be derailing your best eating and exercise intentions, take the TRAP quiz here.
Finally, thanks so much to those who have pre-ordered The Joy Choice. Your pre-order (before April 26!) gives you free entry to my book club + workbook. I look forward to seeing you there. It will be fun!
Feel free to share this post with others who share your interest in the science-based how-to’s of creating lasting changes that can survive in the real world.
Copyright © Segar, Michelle.