Biggest Obstacles to Achieving Health Goals Part 3: Lack of Support
The beginning of the year provides an opportunity to make new goals and build new habits. But unfortunately, it’s estimated that around 80% of new-year goals fail. One of the biggest reasons people fail to reach their goals is a lack of support. While your willpower and motivation may initially get you started, support is what helps you keep going in your health journey. The people around you can make a big impact on your mindset and influence your habits.
Ever heard the phrase, “You are the company you keep” or “Birds of a feather flock together”? Well, research says it's true! Your social circle plays a significant role in crucial health behaviors. This includes positive behaviors such as eating a nutrient-dense diet and exercising, as well as risky behaviors such as smoking and heavy alcohol use. Your social circle influences what you consider the norm. The influence of your social circle can impact your health as far back as your childhood. Researchers identified that children who grew up in supportive households frequently had healthier immune systems, better metabolic health, and more optimal autonomic nervous systems than those who did not. Even in adulthood, you can improve your health by surrounding yourself with supportive individuals.
Connection To Others Is Crucial To Health.
Blue Zones, which are regions in the world that contain the most centenarians (people that live to be at least 100), identified that maintaining social bonds is essential for longevity and vitality. Connection with others affects all aspects of your health. Numerous studies have proven that individuals with lower social relationships die earlier than those with a supportive community. Some of these studies have even shown that the risk of death for someone with less social relationships was twice as high, and this proved true between both healthy individuals and those with chronic health conditions. These studies also found that having social support can even create physiological changes such as reducing stress hormones, improving the immune system, and lowering blood pressure.
Finding the right support system is necessary to help you achieve your goals. The right support group includes people who have similar goals to you. They provide a platform where you can ask questions, work through barriers, and celebrate success together. These intimate connections can help you stay motivated by allowing you to openly speak about your struggles. Furthermore, they provide an opportunity to gain additional ideas on what may work for you in overcoming challenges.
Finding the right social support can often be challenging. Reflect on your current goals and compare your goals to those around you. Chances are that not all your friends and family members have similar mindsets around health. Rather than cut those people out of your life, seek out those that better align with your goals. Getting involved and meeting new people can be a challenge all by itself! It’s natural to feel nervous about joining a new group, but that just means this is important to you. Take some time to listen to other members of the group and then start contributing to the conversation with your own experiences. You will realize that everyone is on their own health journey.
Our team believes that support is a key component in helping our clients achieve their goals. That is why our group programs offer a community component. Our program, The Being Collective, is designed to support our members with nourishing recipes as well as community support. We know that cultivating relationships with others is key to keeping you motivated and encouraged to continue forward in your health goals.
