How Practicing Kindness Can Help You Create Healthy Habits
Kindness is often seen as a soft and fluffy concept, but it can be a game-changer when it comes to creating healthy habits. In fact, being kind to yourself can improve your nutrition and overall well-being. Today, we are excited to welcome Lisa Kiersky Schreiber, a Master Nutrition Coach and author of The Meal Deal Book, to Healthstyles FYI, the podcast by Balanced Healthstyles. In this episode, we will be talking about how practicing kindness can positively impact your healthy habits.
The Power of Kindness
As Lisa has noted in her articles, "Kindness is the Most Beautiful Language," it is one that can bring people together, especially during these divisive times. When we see and experience acts of kindness, it humanizes people and encourages us to act kindly as well. This is why Lisa is passionate about starting a kindness revolution, as she believes it can change the world if people put it into action.
Why Practicing Kindness is Good for You
Lisa uses behavior change techniques to guide people through making actionable and doable healthy habits. Her own journey with Crohn's disease led her to explore nutrition and the impact it has on our health. Her take is that being kind to yourself during this process is crucial for long-term success, because you’re more likely to stick to your healthy habits and create sustainable change.
Kindness has several benefits for one's health, such as releasing the feel-good chemicals oxytocin, serotonin, and dopamine. Additionally, being kind to oneself when starting something new is essential as it keeps one going. Being kind to others helps you face obstacles and figure out how to treat yourself with kindness, respect, and dignity. A couple of examples of being kind to oneself and others are also mentioned. One can shift one's perspective and see the world with empathy, even putting oneself in other people's shoes.
The Role of Kindness in Healthy Habits
Kindness is a powerful tool that can positively impact your healthy habits and the world around you. By treating yourself with compassion and kindness, you can create sustainable healthy habits that last a lifetime. And by spreading kindness to others, you can help create a kinder, more united world.
When it comes to kindness, it is important to start with being kind to yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup, and you cannot control anything besides yourself. When we prioritize ourselves, we radiate that kindness to others, creating a ripple effect of positivity. However, being kind to yourself is not easy.
Practicing kindness can become a habit, just like any other habit that we cultivate over time. And it's not just about saying kind words to ourselves or others, but it's also about taking kind actions towards ourselves and others.
And, it's all about breaking the habit of the negativity bias and practicing kindness until it becomes second nature. It's like building a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.
Before you know it, kindness becomes a way of life, just like meal planning or any other habit that we've cultivated over time. It's important to remember that kindness is not just a one-time thing, it's a daily practice that requires consistency and effort. But the benefits of being kind to ourselves and others are immeasurable, and it's definitely worth the investment.
Start Your Kindness Revolution Today
If you want to create healthy habits that last a lifetime, then start by being kind to yourself and others. Spread kindness to initiate a positive ripple effect, cultivate it as a daily practice, and enjoy the immeasurable benefits it brings to your life.
Additional topics we cover in this segment include:
- How to be kind to yourself, particularly regarding body image and eating habits. Self-awareness is identified as the starting point for changing negative self-talk and developing a habit of self-kindness.
- Allowing yourself to enjoy food without labeling it as good or bad is an act of kindness towards yourself.
- The negative connotations of using the word "should" and how it can lead to feelings of guilt. Intrinsic motivation is highlighted as being more effective in achieving personal goals.
Kindness Bingo!
A fun and interactive way to practice kindness and create healthy habits that will last a lifetime. This Kindness Bingo card is designed to help you spread joy and positivity while also improving your own well-being. Each square on the card features a different act of kindness that you can complete. Whether it's a small gesture like holding the door open for someone or a more elaborate act like volunteering at a local shelter, every action has the power to make a difference.
This was a fun interview!