WHY IS YOUR BRAIN TRYING TO SABOTAGE YOUR HEALTH GOALS?! And How Do You STOP It?

Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I should really go take a walk”, and instead you scrolled on social media for an hour?

Or told yourself, “I’m going to prep a salad for lunch tomorrow with grilled chicken and a homemade vinegarette”, but then you convinced yourself you didn’t have time because there was laundry to finish, the dog needed to be fed, and it was almost time to start the kids’ bedtime routine?

We don’t like to make changes. As humans, our brains are hard-wired to keep us safe. And part of that process includes being averse or resistant to changes. If what we’re doing has been keeping us safe and maintaining the status quo, our brain will play all the tricks it can to stop us from disrupting our peaceful existence. Even at the expense of our own health.

So while you may want and need to take that walk or prep that salad, your brain is going to view it differently. If this is not part of your normal routine, the brain automatically reverts to, “What change is this? Is it safe? Is it necessary? Maybe we should stick with what we already KNOW.”

If what you already KNOW is grabbing fast food during your lunchbreak, your brain is going to do what it can to convince you that the salad (while admittedly good for you), is too much work, takes up too much time, and more importantly isn’t going to give you that dopamine hit in the pleasure center of the brain like the fast food will.

So, how do you convince your brain that taking the walk or prepping the salad is a GOOD thing?

There are a few things to help with this.

First, recognize when your brain is slamming on the brakes.

You have the thought, “I should really go for a walk this evening.” Take a moment to recognize the thoughts and feelings you’re having. Are you bouncing up to get your shoes on and heading out the door? Or did you feel a split second of doubt followed by a barrage of other thoughts, “But I should really be….” Fill in the blank.

Once you recognize that your brain is trying to sabotage the walk, ACKNOWLEDGE IT. Even say, “Thank You,” for trying to keep you safe. This gives the higher functioning parts of your brain the chance to step in and calm the primal part.

Second, start off small.

If your brain is REALLY resisting this walk, “We just have WAY too much to do!”, then after you’ve acknowledged that your brain is trying to keep you safe, it’s time to do a small thing. Go start the laundry, but do 5 lunges after you’re done. Then do another 5. And another. 

This starts to give you tiny dopamine hits every time you do something good for yourself and rewires the brain that the “change” isn’t bad, and is actually good.

Sometimes all it takes is the process of pushing through the resistance by putting your shoes on. “Well, shoes are already on, might as well do 15 minutes of walking while that load is in the dryer.”

Third thing you can do is Celebrate each time you do the little things.

It’s about building up the dopamine hits so your brain starts to associate pleasure with these changes and tasks instead of dread or resistance.

So, you recognize your brain is resisting prepping the salad for….reasons. You acknowledge it and decide one TINY thing you could go ahead and do is wash the lettuce. The laundry is going, you’re already up and about, might as well wash the lettuce. Once you do, it’s time for a little celebration (wiggle your bottom, do a little cheer, sing a little song, whatever). You are producing a chemical reaction in your brain that associates doing the little thing with a pleasurable dopamine hit.

And so it goes until your brain is no longer fighting to “protect you” from the changes you’re trying to make.

I would also like to add – THIS IS ALL PERFECTLY NORMAL!!!!

This doesn’t make you weird or strange or crazy or whatever. This is your normal brain doing normal brain stuff. It’s just not something you’ve ever really thought about or tried to put a name to it.

You probably just wondered, “Why can’t I get myself to do this stuff? Why aren’t I motivated to do this?” It really has nothing to do with motivation, and everything to do with your brain trying to “keep you safe” from going out and getting eaten by a saber-tooth tiger, or eating something poisonous.

Resistance is a defense mechanism used by the brain to protect you. There are absolutely ways to work around this and make changes to better your health and nutrition.

And if you would like to check out a few more hints and tips when it comes to meals for your family, get my FREE Healthy Meal Hacks for Busy Moms Guide.