In part one of Behavior Changes that Last, a series that provides you food-for-thought (pun intended) to help you make sustainable changes to your lifestyle habits, it’s important to first cover values.

Values are qualities of actions in all aspects of our lives. They can be the reasons why we do what we do. Understanding and clarifying personal values provides a clear compass for decision-making, guiding individuals toward choices that align with their core beliefs and priorities. This alignment creates a sense of authenticity and purpose, reinforcing the commitment to healthier behaviors as they resonate with one's deeply held values.

Moreover, the process of identifying values instills a greater self-awareness, allowing individuals to recognize potential conflicts between their current habits and their aspirational values. Many times when we feel an unsettling disconnect with ourselves and our daily habits, in the case of “poor” or “unhealthy” habits, there is actually a disconnect between our values and actions. But if we never reflect on what our values are, it is incredibly difficult to discern and act upon the root cause of our disconnect.

This self-awareness can become a powerful motivator for change, as individuals are more likely to invest effort into transforming behaviors that conflict with their values. In essence, the recognition and alignment of values create a strong foundation for sustainable and meaningful healthy behavior changes, offering individuals a purpose-driven path to improved well-being.

And how often is it that we assess what our values are? Hardly ever! Which is why I want to provide you 2 practices to explore your values.

Complete the following practices to explore what your values are. Make sure to record your answers, as you will use them in future practices in this series!

Practice One: Identify Your Values

Click here to use this list, provided publicly by renowned researcher Brené Brown, to identify WHAT your values are. There are no right or wrong or better or worse answers. Your task is to pick the two values that you hold most important. I know this is tough, because almost everyone wants to pick somewhere between ten and fifteen. Start by circling those ten to fifteen. But you can’t stop until you’re down to two core values.
Regarding your health, pick one or two core values concerning that as well.

Practice Two: Explore Your Values

Complete the following questions, adapted from psychologist Susan David, as thoroughly as you’re able to to explore your values:

1) Deep down, what matters to me?

2) What relationships do I want to build? With others? With myself?

3) What do I want my life to be about?

4) During which activities do I feel most alive?

5) If all my stress were gone, what would my life look like? What new things would I pursue?

6) Close your eyes and picture your life in 10 years. What’s important to you then? What do you want to be able to do?

All done? Great job! These are some of the first steps I take with clients to start exploring how they can make healthy habits that last. It’s really foundational work to connect your “why” with your actions. Butthe work doesn’t stop here. After you’ve had some time to digest (pun intended again) what you’ve reflected upon about yourself this week, you have the opportunity to join me again next week, where we’ll explore your self-attunement: or, how your conscious and unconscious behavioral patterns either help or distract you from attuning to your physical and emotional needs. By the end of this series, we will be tying together all the concepts we explore.

In the meantime, if you’re feeling like you’d benefit from a one-on-one approach to your nutrition and wellness, don’t hesitate to reach out to work with me by scheduling a free consult!