If willpower isn’t working, give this a read

If stopping an unwanted habit feels super hard for you, there may be a physiological reason for it. And this is something I really wish more people understood, so that they could support themselves physiologically first, and habit change becomes so much easier! So here is the down low on what you should know!

A lot of us assume that if we’re struggling with cravings, emotional eating, low energy, poor sleep habits, or reaching for things we know aren’t supporting us, it must be a mindset problem. We tell ourselves we need more discipline, more motivation, or better self control.

But sometimes your physiology is making that habit feel ten times harder to break.

What I mean by that is there may be other habits in your day that aren’t supporting your body, so when it comes time to make a healthier choice, you’re basically fighting an uphill battle.

Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you struggle with cravings when you get home from work, or at night after dinner. Most people immediately assume the problem is lack of control.

But biologically, cravings often have a lot to do with blood sugar, hunger hormones, stress hormones, sleep, and whether your body actually got what it needed throughout the day.

So let’s look at what might be happening in this example:

Maybe you skipped breakfast because you were busy. Maybe lunch was rushed, light, or protein only because you were “trying to be good.” Maybe you avoided carbs because you thought they were the problem. Maybe work was stressful and your nervous system stayed in go mode all day. Maybe you stayed up way past your bedtime and now your body is asking for quick energy.

And then 8 pm rolls around and suddenly all you want is sugar, chips, takeout, or whatever feels easy.

If you told me you skip meals, don’t eat enough, avoid carbs, are stressed all day, stay up late… I would PREDICT that you experience cravings and unwanted hunger.

That’s not weakness. That’s physiology.

This is why I’m so passionate about helping people look at the full picture before trying to “fix” a habit. If your body is under fueled, overstimulated, overtired, or stressed, healthy choices are going to feel harder than they need to.

And when you start supporting the biology first, things often get easier surprisingly fast.

The first step is almost never being told to “stop snacking”, “eat less”.

In my office the first step we talk about might be eating a breakfast high in nutrients, protein and fibre.

This is what I mean when I say sometimes health habits feel hard because we aren’t setting ourselves up for success.

What steps can you take?

If you have a habit you’re struggling to break and you’re wondering if there could be a physiological barrier getting in the way, pay attention. Your body is usually giving you clues. Instead of asking, why can’t I stop doing this? Ask yourself these questions:

• Try asking, what might my body need earlier in the day so this feels easier later?

• Why is my body and mind asking for this unwanted habit?

• What does this unwanted habit make me feel? What else could help me feel this way?

If you feel like you asked yourself these questions and you aren’t sure how you can support yoruself better, I really recommend working with a professional like a naturopathic doctor for personalized lifestyle medicine recommendations (work with me here). The biological side of habits can feels confusing or overwhelming, a naturopathic doctor can help you build sustainable routines to help you look at your patterns and build a plan that actually fits your life.

Because sometimes the goal isn’t to fight harder. Sometimes the goal is to stop fighting your biology.

And if you want to learn how to start working with your brain and body instead of against them, this is exactly the kind of mindset work we go deeper into inside Mindset Medicine. Because when you set yourself up for success biologically and mentally, healthy habits stop feeling like such a battle.