Habits and the Whole 30 (day 27)

It just so happens that, this month, I've gotten really into the work of Gretchen Rubin, a writer who focuses on habits and happiness. I read one of her books a few weeks ago and am now binge-listening to her podcast Happier, which she hosts with her sister (which is a big part of why I love it). A Whole 30, and the new year in general, is an opportune time to think about our habits and how well they serve us.

Her concept of the four tendencies, which describes how people respond to inner and outer expectations, resonates really strongly with me. I'm a classic upholder, which means I find it relatively easy to meet both internal and external expectations. When I decide to do something, I generally don't have difficulty sticking to it. (My mother might say I have questioner tendencies, which I certainly did as a younger person, but I have drifted away from them.)

I also seem to lean towards being an abstainer, which means I am comfortable with an all-or-nothing strategy versus trying to moderate myself.

These tendencies go a long way towards explaining why the Whole 30 hasn't been too much of a struggle for me. I committed to myself that I'm doing it, so I'm doing it. The plan comprises a set of rules I can follow, which takes everyday decision making out of my hands. I don't have to ask myself each day whether I will have cheese or chocolate or not; I just know those items to be off limits for now.

In tandem with my Whole 30, I've adopted a new daily walking habit this month. I resuscitated my Jawbone UP24 fitness tracker and set a goal of 6,000 steps a day. I realize the goal is low compared to the commonly recommended 10,000 steps, but I wanted to set a bar that I knew I could meet consistently. To ensure I meet the goal, I've started taking a short walk nearly every day before lunch. During this walk, I usually listen to a Happier podcast (self-reinforcing habits)! This strategy has worked really well for me-- I've met the goal each day, and my daily average step count is actually closer to 7,500. The lunchtime walk has the added benefit of giving me a chance to clear my head in the middle of the work day. In February, I will increase my daily goal to 7,000. 

As I near the end of the Whole 30, I've been considering how I want to adjust my eating habits when it is over. Thinking about it through Rubin's lenses has been very helpful. More to come on this in my next post.