When do you eat junk food?
Typical answer: When it’s around
When do you drink alcohol?
Typical answer: When you’re at the bar or it’s in your fridge.
When do you feel the best?
Typical answer: When I’m around my family and friends and don’t
Your environment plays a huge role in your day-to-day behaviors. It might be the single most important thing for creating change and being successful over the long haul. So, let’s talk about environment, what that means, and how to change it.
People
If you work in a positive environment all day, go home and are surrounded by positive people eating health, being active, and making great choices you’re much more likely to follow suit.
If you hang around negative people who act out, go home to a negative environment with all kinds of junk food and then hang out with friends where everything involves alcohol chances are that you’ll behave they way those people do.
Changing the people you spend time around isn’t easy. But, it’s probably the most important thing you can do.
Ask yourself what’s more important? Hanging out with friends that drag you down or gossip and bitch about the world or your mental, emotional, and physical health?
Find people who value the same things you do. If your values have changed or you’re haven’t but your friends have, you might need to find a new social group.
Social Time
When you socialize, what kind of environment are you spending time in?
Do you go to the bar or to some other place where the norm is to eat crap, pound booze, and argue?
Or
Do you hang out where people are doing physical activities, happily socializing and eating healthy foods?
If you’re going to the bar or to the fast food joint; it’s going to be really hard not to partake in those activities. The same goes for more positive environments. It’s hard not to have a good time around positive people who are actively seeking positive experiences.
Home
Your home should be a place of restoration and nourishment. It’s where healthy meals should be prepared and enjoyed and where quality time with loved ones should occur.
As yourself, is your home an ideal environment for rest and recovery?
- Get rid of distractions by cleaning up the clutter. Give away things you don’t use or need.
- Disconnect the cable, get rid of your tv or at least turn it off during the week.
- Throw out the junk food and booze.
- Create spaces that are comfortable and emphasize quality time with family.
Wrap up
Create your ideal environment:
- Get rid of junk food and alcohol from your house
- Hang out with healthy, positive people
- Go to places with healthy active people and do fun activities
Minimize exposure to negative environments and come prepared:
- When traveling carry healthy snacks
- Socialize in places where healthy activities occur instead of fighting the normal behaviors in a poor environment
- When eating out go to healthy restaurants or eat a healthy snack before you go so you’re less tempted by crap food
- Bring healthy food to work and go for walks to get a break during the day
- Avoid conversations with negative people in your life or end those relationships when possible
