As I recover from having COVID-19 late last year, I am stunned by how much shaming I hear and see. I'm sure I am sensitive to this because of my experience, but it seems that there is a lot more shaming than compassion and care. Let’s take a look at why people resort to shaming and what to do about it.
Magical Thinking
It's January, and it is time for us to put into action all the promises we made to change our behavior in 2021. Even though we have known long before the new year what we needed to change, we gave ourselves permission to continue these “bad” habits until now. Logic would say that if you're going to change a habit or behavior, any time is an excellent time to start. However, year after year, we pick arbitrary times like Mondays or the quintessential day of January 1 to begin. Why?
Try Something Different with Your New Year's Resolutions
Most of us set goals or resolutions for the upcoming year. And with the disruption to our lives prompted by the pandemic, many of us probably have an extra-long list of things we would like to change. Even though most of us have not been successful in previous years’ resolutions, each year we are confident that this year will be different. Here are some ideas to improve your chances of success this year.
Want to Boost Your Immune System?
Before a vaccine, the two most promising strategies to reduce the risk of Covid-19 are: 1) practicing mitigation strategies of social distancing, hand washing, and wearing a mask, and 2) adopting lifestyle practices aligned to good immune health (Simpson et al., 2020). Let’s take a look at how moderate physical activity can help boost your immune system.
I'm Having a Bad Day!
Power of Why
During this time of uncertainty, we are hungry for information. Often times, this is a result of people communicating with urgency and not a lot of planning. In this rushed state, it’s totally understandable that our first thought in communicating is focused on what, when, and where, with little or no focus on why. But, that’s not the first thought of the receiver of information. Let’s learn about the power of why…
I'll Do It Later
On/Off Thinking
Just a few short weeks ago, we were asked to stay at home and not go out unless we absolutely had to. Decisions were made for us about what we could or could not do. We may not have liked it, but our decisions were easy. That’s because we understand “on/off” thinking or “dichotomous thinking”. But, what is it really and how does this type of thinking hold us back when it comes to positive behavior changes?
Adaptation
Stopping Unwanted Habits
After a few weeks of working at home, educating our children, or attending classes online, many of us have fallen into habits that we wish we hadn’t started. Much of this unwanted behavior may have begun as a way to soothe us and reduce our anxiety. But now we are starting to look at our lives and realize that many of these habits will not serve us well in the long run. So, how do we begin to reverse them?