Hello everyone and welcome to our new exciting venture!
This is our first blog post (established in 2013), and we hope you enjoy our regular contributions. We are passionate about this area and are delighted to be able to contribute in any way, large or small. We are hoping to make a genuine difference in people’s lives through our education and training programs.
Are you prepared to change?
Health and wellbeing is a growing area and truly reflects the way we live today – most of us think about our own health or wellbeing on a daily basis. Whether it’s deciding to have a muffin with our coffee, or deciding to quit smoking or cut out drinking, the health and wellbeing phenomenon is here to stay.
Many of us reason with ourselves every day… Our inner voice tells us for example, to lose a few kilos (or a lot!), to cut down sugar from our diets, or to cut down our caffeine intake. For others, it’s about finding the right work life balance, getting enough sleep or dealing with workplace stress effectively. For most, it’s learning how to cope with the day-to-day pressures that often leave many of us exhausted and spent by the end of the day.
We tell ourselves on a daily basis that we must get around to doing this or changing that so that we can feel better, look better or perform better. But why is it that we cannot move beyond thinking to changing our behaviour, to actual action?
For many years, many of us used the excuse that there is no information or support available. However, in this day and age, we can no longer use this excuse. All you need to do is turn on the TV or radio, pass a magazine stand or watch an internet ad pop up and you will be promised instant results – “You CAN lose your belly fat in 5 easy steps, so enrol today!”
Why is it so difficult?
Why is it so difficult to make the changes that we need to make so we can feel and look healthier, and be fitter and more energised? Is it because changing “my” current behaviour requires work and I’m just too tired to work ‘on it’? Is it because I want a quick fix and I want the change to happen now? Is it because I can’t wait for a week, a month, 6 months, a year to see results?
Is it because I think it’s really not that bad if I carry 5 extra kilos, smoke a few cigarettes a day, drink too much alcohol or consume too many energy drinks? Is it because I lack motivation and will power? Is it because it’s just “way too hard”, I’ve tried before and I’ve failed?
Or is it because I believe I am truly happy, I’m coping, I’m really fine and it’s okay?
Are you prepared to settle for less?
But deep down, is it really okay? Are you prepared to settle for less? Are you prepared to “just be”, and not live life to your fullest potential? To not become the person you can be and want to be? And what about your family and the relationship you have with them? What are you teaching your children? What are they observing?
So I ask you to think about what you would like to change, but you just haven’t got around to doing it. What’s preventing you from making the change? Do any of the above questions resonate with you? Are you prepared to travel outside your comfort zone?
What helps you change?
Think back now to a time where you did make some change… What did you change and what made the transition successful for you? Was it your own personal commitment to yourself or to your family? Did you organise and prepare yourself in advance before “D day”? Did you seek support from loved ones or further information from a professional body? What helped you change?
People’s readiness to change varies and our desire to change can often fluctuate in the one day! We can habitually wake up quite motivated and ready to go, but by the end of the day, we may find sustaining the ‘new behaviour’ too difficult.
Our business can help you!
We would love to support you and your organisation along your behaviour change journey… We offer a range of education and training programs on the most popular behaviour change topics such as quitting smoking or learning to manage stress and weight gain. We can help enhance your personal awareness about the impact of your current lifestyle choices, and we can provide you with practical and easy to use strategies to help you along the way.
Or we can train you in motivational interviewing, so you are able to communicate more openly and effectively and you feel confident in engaging in the behaviour change conversation with your clients and/or staff, so they too can work towards positive behaviour change and live the healthy and happy life that they deserve.
So don’t hesitate to give us a call today. We provide ourselves on the professional and engaging service we offer and very much look forward to working with you. Call us on 03 8502 0006 or send an email to contact@thinkhealthwellbeing.com.au. We hope to hear from you soon and we look forward to connecting with you and your organisation in the very near future.
