From a Life Mapping perspective (see right panel) we can look at habits in our lives in relation to situations or conditions during different times of our lives in which we have gravitated to more healthful or to less than healthful habits. This is up to you alone to define, though. There are no ‘standards’ to apply but your own. Habits might be coping devices sometimes. What may not seem healthful in the larger societal or medical sense might be appropriate or even “healthful” for the individual at a given time due to their circumstances. Still, a pattern or habit that might serve a person’s needs at one time might become less helpful or healthful seeming to that person later on.
I invite you to ‘map’ those times in your life when you have developed habits that you yourself understand as less healthy and as more healthy, too. See if you can reflect on the kinds of situations or conditions that were present in your life during those times. You might draw a vertical line down a sheet of paper and name one or more ‘healthful’/wellness oriented habit(s) on one side and name one or more less than healthful (e.g., addictive) habit(s) on the other side. Then see if you can briefly describe conditions that were present in your life at the time that led you to develop each of these habits.
Can you focus on the positive life conditions you experienced when you chose a more healthful set of behaviors (again, by your own definition only)? On the other side, what sorts of triggering factors might have stimulated you to adopt or to intensify a less than healthful pattern?
That’s all, folks. What you do with any of this is entirely your own concern. Only you can know whether you want to or are ready to substitute greater wellness factors for less healthy or frustrating habits. Please do be kind to and patient with yourself. I know that when I have quit a habit that no longer served my needs (and there are still plenty to ‘work on’), it is because I knew at the time what I really wanted required letting go of a habit that interfered with achieving that more positive goal.
As always, I welcome all Comments and Stories.
Better Endings to You!
Better Endings 