Pickleballer enjoying healthy hedonism

Source: Unaihuizi/DepositPhotos

Too often, aspirations for well-being are misguided. The council takes a perfectionist angle, leading individuals to believe that rigid standards are necessary to get things done when it comes to improving health.

Recently, my doctor just published a newsletter advocating 75 Difficult program, an ultra-rigid self-improvement protocol with a bar so high that a quick Google search makes it clear that it sets most participants up for failure. In my provider’s defense, their newsletters are well-written and generally well-researched. However, this one in particular (I presume) was meant to be more inspirational in nature.

Still, I felt obligated, as a behavioral scientist, to let them know that research indicates that wellness regimens that require this level of ruthless adherence have a poor track record for long-term success. On the contrary, these types of programs risk harming physiological and psychological well-being. Instead, what emerges as one of the most useful elements of any health intervention is the pleasure of travel. Engaging in something from which you derive at least some pleasure—sometimes called healthy hedonism—appears to be a more powerful predictor of lasting wellness behavior compared to most other factors.

It starts with finding what works for you

When it comes to exercise, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The good news is that the wellness landscape has evolved significantly over the past few decades to offer a diverse selection of approaches to fitness and movement, meaning it’s highly likely that there is a type of exercise or wellness practice that suits your preferences and preferences. lifestyle.

As someone whose livelihood depends on helping health club operators design an optimal customer experience, it’s no surprise that I was criticized when I wrote in my book The fun habit“If you hate the gym, don’t go!” It’s not for everyone. Instead, choose a non-travel physical activity, such as bodyweight exercises in your own home or a nature hike in a nearby park. But this statement was not intended to spark controversy. Rather, it was about emphasizing the fact that when people don’t find pleasure in what they do, they tend to fail.

When we begin our health journey by honoring our unique preferences, we are able to redefine wellness as a source of joy. When we stack the cards in our favor by planning activities that appeal to us and are also helpful in supporting a healthy lifestyle, we do not need to rely on willpower to move forward and continue in matters of physical fitness. Instead, we turn exercise into something “we can do” rather than something “we have to do.”

The joy of cooking

Healthy hedonism isn’t just about fitness; it is also about accepting the pleasure of food without the guilt often attached to indulgence. It’s well known that restrictive weight loss programs have a low success rate, but this has done little to slow the popularity of fad diets. When we can move away from the idea of ​​”diet” and cultivate a healthier relationship with food, without restrictive diets or shame cycles – we generally get better results in the long term. Learn to cook with nutrition-dense whole foods, enjoying the flavors and colors of nutritious meals, along with the experience of eating well-prepared meals, mitigates the dangers of processed foods and reckless eating.

Prioritize experience over metrics

With so many health apps at our fingertips, it’s easy to reduce our well-being to numbers. I am a strong advocate for digital health and, when designed well, the right piece of contextually appropriate consumer health technology can have a substantial positive impact on a person’s health. However, I am also opposed to excessive quantification of health because of its negative impact on healthy hedonism.

Dr. Jordan Etkin, a researcher at Duke University, has studied the issue in depth. His research highlights some of the unintended negative consequences of too much focus on health indicators provided by technology, which can erode the pleasure inherent in an activity we once found enjoyable. For example, although activity trackers may initially increase the frequency with which we participate in an activity, because they focus our attention Depending on what we’re doing (like walking or reading), this reorientation of attention may simultaneously reduce the extent to which we intrinsically enjoy those activities. Over time, the result is that we are no longer attracted to the activity we once loved, so we give it up.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon transcends physical activity and extends to other areas of well-being. For example, the popular meditation The Waking Up app, created by Sam Harris, removed the importance of its quantitative features when Sam recognized that they were creating what he called “spiritual materialism» – bring the user’s attention outward rather than inward (where the goal of the app is to focus inward).

Healthy hedonism at its best

Across the board, prioritizing presence allows us to savor our experience and connect with what we enjoy, whether it’s a workout, a meal, or a meal . mindfulness session. In doing so, healthy hedonism shifts our attention away from results that are often fleeting if too goal-oriented and instead focuses us on finding joy in what we do and what we experience, nurturing a rewarding relationship with well-being – a basket. fun habits that result in a long-term, sustainable strategy to maintain our well-being.