The Washington Post has a great article on our bad habits and why it’s so hard to change them. Although this doesn’t directly deal with anxiety, it isn’t uncommon for those of us who live with chronic anxiety to also deal with overeating, drinking, smoking, and other bad habits. In addition, we also deal with stress at a much greater level than most people, and stress is a major contributing factor to poor health.
Here’s a snippet from the article:
We’re fat. We smoke. Drink too much. Don’t exercise enough. And our stress levels are off the charts.
We’re killing ourselves, and we know it. And yet we carry on — overeating, lighting up, slumping in front of the television and throwing back another beer — inspiring some of the greatest thinkers in the worlds of genomics, neuroscience, biochemistry and evolutionary psychology to ponder the Big Mac of medical questions:
Why is it so hard for people to change?
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January 4, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Cindy
This is a really good article. There is a lot that can be written on the idea of becoming ready to let go of bad habits. Until something from INSIDE motivates me, it is unlikely that anything from the OUTSIDE will get me to change. And actually, I like that about myself. I like being able to decide for myself what I will and won’t do. Yes, it carries with it some personal responsibility, but that’s okay with me!! And I liked the article’s recommendation that we spend some time with ourselves to find out what exactly IS motivating us. I think this is the key to a lot of things besides changing bad habits. It is also the key to spiritual depth, intellectual stimulation, true compassion and a host of other characteristics I want to cultivate! Thanks for the link Josh!