Health improvement: do one thing at a time
For many of us there is something about ourselves that we would like to change for the sake of our health. It may be the fact that we smoke, drink too much alcohol, are overweight or don't take enough exercise.
Frequently attempts to make such changes are successful, but often the initial enthusiasm is short lived and we go back to our old bad habits. This can be quite depressing and make us less inclined to try again.
Research has shown that success is more likely if we try to solve only one problem at a time. Too often people will try, with the best intentions, to ‘fix themselves up’ in one go. They may decide to stop smoking, change their diet and start a regular exercise programme all at the same time.
A better approach is to deal with each problem separately. If you decide to stop smoking, concentrate on that and don't worry about gaining a bit of weight. Once you have conquered the smoking habit then turn your attention to the next problem.
If you start a regular exercise programme, don't be concerned if you find you are eating a bit more. This is a natural response of the body. Once the exercise is part of your normal routine you will find it much easier to make changes to your diet.
With all these things, which may mean changing habits that have been present for many years, it is important to set realistic targets. If we set our sights too high, failure is more likely. This can bring a loss of self-esteem and a reluctance to try again. If, for example, you want to lose 10 kg in weight, don't try to do it in a month. Give yourself 6 months, or even a year. This makes the job much easier and the change is much more likely to be permanent.
Last Reviewed: 24 May 2002
