Healthy Choices
Are You Having a Wellbeing Identity Crisis?
52 MyClearwater
If you are thinking
you have never
heard of such
a thing as a
wellbeing identity crisis, be assured
it is real. As we move through the
process of behavior change, we experience
a lot of challenges and turmoil along the
way, as changing behavior is not an easy thing to do.
Research indicates the time frame involved in behavior
change differs based on the complexity of the change. True
change takes time and does not happen overnight. One of
the reasons many people struggle with behavior change is
that they have a hard time tapping into their new identify;
the old habit is so entrenched in who they are as a person.
If you have ever played a sport, you probably identified
yourself as an athlete, perhaps even wearing brands or
images associated with your sport or team. We often
wear these items and proudly say things such as, “I am a
runner,” “I am a swimmer,” or “I play on the city’s co-ed
softball team.”
If you have ever tried to lose weight, one of the mental
blocks people face involves their identity. You may think
you are fat, and therefore, perhaps you think you do not eat
healthy, or you are not active. You identify yourself as a fat,
unhealthy and inactive person.
It can be difficult to view yourself with a new identity and
positive self talk. Say things to yourself, such as, “I care
about my health,” “I enjoy cooking healthy foods,” “I am
an active person,” and “I am a fit person.”
Another common example occurs when someone tries to
quit smoking. How many years have you identified yourself
as a smoker? Labeling yourself as a “non-smoker” can be a
hard mental change. If you still view yourself as a smoker,
it’s going to be a lot harder to break the habit and change
the behaviors surrounding smoking.
As you plan how you will change your health habits and
behaviors, include the identity piece in your plan. Enlist
your support group to help you with this mental shift, and
tell them you need them on board. Have your family and
friends stop referring to and viewing you as a smoker if that
is the habit you are trying to break. Help create that new
vision of yourself by describing what the new you looks
like.
Embrace the new identity, and help shift your expectation
for the new you. How does the new you think? What
behaviors are part of your new identity? If you believe you
are that person, it will make true and lasting change that
much easier.
52 MyClearwater