Changing habits for the better

I hate to admit it but I am trained as a Social/Organizational Psychologist and made my pre-retirement living most recently doing executive coaching to produce behavior change. You'd think I would apply my knowledge to my own behavior LOL.

Well, I haven't spent the time really thinking about the barriers to creating an exercise habit that weren't environmental (weather mostly). Finally I did.

In the mornings I am up early and full of energy. I stay busy and get things done.

Afternoons are my slump time. I end up reading and eating at home or going to the coffee house to do the same. I am bored and lonely.

So I have rejoined a medical center wellness center that has a gym, indoor pool and lots of exercise classes. My plan is to exercise in the afternoon instead of - well, reading and eating.

I started yesterday afternoon by going to a class that started at 3:00. The class was much the same to the stretching DVD I have intended to follow each morning and didn't.

The difference was that I laughed, visited with others and didn't eat cookies or cake at the coffee shop. I wrote down my weight and what I did to exercise in a log book.

Today I will start lap swimming although I know from the past that I can't swim very long or far at this point.

If I keep fully in mind that I am substituting behaviors in an attempt to change habits then perhaps this approach will work. I know it does if you stick with it.