The Bodycare Journal: Consistency on the Brain
Featured image: Herbert Bayer – Ideas about the extended field of vision (1935)
Imagine waking up and doing everything you set out to do. You crossed off everything on your to-do list, worked out, ate healthy, etc. How do you think you would feel? Happy, motivated, eager for something new? Accomplishing even the small things can bring such gratitude. So why not be consistent?
Someone consistently achieves the same level of success in things. If every day, you sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching TV without any exercise, you will become successful in obesity. If you consistently read every day, you will become successful in expanding your vocabulary. The things that you take the time to be consistent are the things that will help you stay stagnant or evolve. I think the only way to change unwanted self-behavior is to do the opposite of what you’re currently doing. For example, if you don’t work out but want to start, make working out a part of your routine. Don’t pile on just take it slow. Start with one or two days a week. This will progress into however many days you intend to be active and you will start to notice the effects of being consistent.
At first, this will feel stressful or hard to achieve. It will be uncomfortable and discipline will become most important. With repetition, the signal is recorded and anticipated: brain activity decreases. When each part of the body knows what to do, the action no longer generates any stress. Congratulations, you have succeeded in creating a habit: your self-confidence boosts, and your self-worth increases.
New habits that you’ve been wanting to create will leave you feeling accomplished and eager to take on the next thing. Individuals who participate in a variety of activities are likely to have better cognitive abilities than those who do not. Make a list of things that will shape you into the person you envisioned. Tackling one at a time, your brain will start to shift. Before you know it, you’ll surpass that and new goals will emerge.
This year will be different from the last. I’ve made it a goal to just stay consistent. As easy as it may sound, this does not happen overnight. It’s the routine of reworking new habits in my life that leads to brain expansion. This means breaking old habits that took years to create. I know the type of lifestyle that I want to lead. It’s a matter of acting on it. So far, I can say that tackling one task at a time has been the easiest way to achieve this. How will consistency impact your life?
By Jazmine Jamal
Founder of @521wellness
You Start Dying When You Stop Dreaming