Why Quick Fixes Are Ruining Your Health
Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
No one is coming to save you.
I see this all the time with clients and even within myself at times.
People want their problems to go away, but are they willing to do anything about it?
It's easy to give into temptations but it's hard to make better choices for ourselves.
Why?
Making lifestyle changes are hard. They require us to say NO and set boundaries with ourselves and others.
Its easy to say "I'm not going to eat (blank) anymore" so I can live healthier.
It's much harder to implement it when other people around you aren't doing it.
We're social beings. Its hard to do things different from the crowd.
Unfortunately the crowd is doing a lot of "unhealthy" things.
Peoples health is suffering because of this.
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They're stressed,
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In pain all the time,
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They're on a ton of meds,
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Doctors aren't listening to them,
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They're unhappy, and not getting better.
If you're feeling this way, you need to take a good look at your life and ask yourself,
"What am I doing that isn't serving me?"
How are you participating in your suffering?
It's hard to make these changes and it takes time. People don't want to get better in 6+ months, they want to get better now.
"Instant gratification... is the urge to satisfy a craving right away, without considering its long term effects or a bigger picture."
Instant gratification is ruining your health.
It has us making impulsive decisions because we want to (which isn't always bad). But remember these small things add up. It's preventing you from making lifestyle changes that will drastically improve your life.
It takes hard work to make changes & people aren't willing to put in the effort.
But when we look for a quick fix we often find poor solutions.
We see this in medicine when we're given solutions for symptoms but never get rid of the real problem. If anything its actually creating more problems down the line.
Real health = long term health.
We need to start giving solutions & taking action in ways that serve us long term, not short term.
So how can we fix our health & life long term?
We have to take ourselves out of our own patterns.
“Most of us today have no sense of an oracle within… Turning our backs to the void, we become infinitely distractible by outward things, prizing those that 'demand' our attention. We secretly treasure the atmosphere of world crisis, for the mental ambulance-chasing it affords. Meanwhile we armor ourselves with mirrors to deflect the inquiring eyes of others.” - David Norton
Most people are so caught up in life around them that they fail to ask themselves if THEY are truly happy & feel good.
Our need for instant gratification is hindering our ability to be healthy.
We want the pill to get rid of pain.
We want the donut to curb a craving.
We want the alcohol to be able to socialize.
We want these quick fixes so we can get back to our distractions.
But what are we getting in the long run?
Here are 4 things to ask yourself if you want to create long term health:
1. Where is your pain or problem coming from? Assess your life.
We can find solutions when we know what the problem is.
Take time to reflect & notice patterns in your life. Whether it's what you're actively doing (or not doing). Notice when an issue started.
Get to the root of your problem & you'll solve it for good.
2. What are you currently doing that's contributing to these problems and not helping?
Is how you're showing up in your life contributing to your problem?
We often don't realize how much control we have over situations. Now this doesn't mean its easy to change what were doing but at the end of the day are you allowing things to be this way?
If you don't like the way things are going, change it.
3. In the big picture is there something that needs to change? (food choices, people, environments, work, etc.)
Now that you're aware of what's not working and what is, what needs to change?
How can you show up or act different?
Is there anything you can start to implement that will change the direction of things?
Changing things will have you making progress towards your goals.
Remember health is long term. These are long term changes & will take time.
4. What is one small way that you can change and something you can stick to?
Start small.
Find one small thing you can start to change. It might just be becoming more aware of your actions to start.
Then over time when that becomes easy, you can add something else.
For example; If you want to eat healthier, start with making one meal consistently healthy. Once you get in that habit - you can make a second meal super healthy too.
Starting small helps us stick to things and doesn't overwhelm us as much.
And if you fall off the habit or forget, get back to it. Don't stop because you had a moment.
Creating better habits over time will have you living a longer, healthier, and happier life.
You'll have long term solutions to your pain & other health issues.
You'll gain more self confidence & see growth. You will be able to live a life that feels good to YOU!
No one coming to save you and anyone with a quick fix isn't helping you in the long run.
You need to make these changes for yourself because you want better for yourself.
Do the consistent work and don't look for short cuts.
Your health will thank you.
Hopefully you found something useful in this journal.
Have a wonderful weekend!
All the best on your journey.
- Jo
If you're needing support along your health journey, here's how you can work with me.
1:1 Manual Osteopathic Treatment (in person): We will go through an assessment and treatment based on your needs & goals.
