Good Morning Internets!
Today I’m going to talk about the lessons I have learned
from reading about “logotherapy”. What is logotherapy? Well it’s a stream of
psychology developed by Viktor Frankl that is based on the premise of
Existential Analysis and the will to
meaning as a motive for human behaviour.
Basically, logotherapist will define the search for meaning
in one’s life as the singular, most powerful, motivating force that we can
possess. Some other traditional psychologists will argue that other “wills” are
more influential, such as the will to
power (i.e., Alder) or the will to
pleasure (i.e., Freud).
Why the hell am I talking about all this stuff? Well, I’m half
way through Frankl’s book “Man’s Search for Meaning” (which I highly recommend)
and I think his philosophy on life and psychology fits VERY well when it comes
to health behavior change psychology (i.e., what this blog is based on).
For the purpose of this post, and my general(evolving) view
point in life, the will to meaning
leads to the best “mental hygiene” (according to Frankl), and thus the impetus
needed for meaningful changes to one’s life (i.e., health behaviour).
So what are some lessons I have learned so far from
logotherapy and how it pertains to maintaining a healthy lifestyle? Well I am
going to cover two today, so read on if I haven’t totally lost you already!
1. Life has meaning
in all circumstances, even the most miserable ones:
Frankl will often refer to his experiences during the
Holocaust when talking about this premise. Although adopting a healthy lifestyle
can NEVER be compared to the suffering endured by Holocast survivors, I think
this point offers some insight into changing you behaviour in this regard.
This may make sense, or may just be an example of how my
biases will take anything and make it into something, but from my experience,
the primary reason(s) I hear that people can’t/won’t be physically active that
want to be are a) I don’t have enough time or b) I don’t have
enough money.
If we take the premise “life has meaning in all
circumstances” as truth, these two minor barriers would not prevent you from
being physically active. Alternatively, at the moment being physically active
just does not mean enough to you to
overcome these perceived barriers.
I know this may seem blunt and hard to digest, but
regardless of your circumstances, if you derive meaning in your life from being
active and healthy you will do anything to achieve that goal.
Now, if despite your best intentions you are currently struggling
to start and maintain positive health changes in your life, I’d like you to ask
yourself, “do I derive meaning and a feeling of accomplishment from doing these
behaviours?” If not, you’re probably not going to start or continue doing said
behaviours. The problem is (obviously still in my opinion), health is the
single most important thing we have in this world. By being healthy we can love
and help others and lead a fulfilling life full of happiness, sorrows, and
experiences.
So how do you make these beahviours a priority to you? Well
no one can tell you the answer, you just have to “do it”. I know that sounds simplistic,
but a mere change in perspective and your own psychology can be a very
impactful tool to change behaviour. However, from experience, this is very hard
to do and takes a lot of patients and acceptance of failure.
If you believe this may be a route of why you haven’t been able to start and maintain a regularly active
schedule and eat healthy food I would recommend devoting one-two day(s) of the week to health. You have to think of these days
as a necessity for you to have meaning in your life (i.e., these days are of
importance to your well being as a person). If you achieve successfully
completing your health day(s) on a regular basis (i.e., 2-3 weeks), re-assess
then “up-the-ante” if you deem it necessary.
2. We have the freedom
to find meaning in what we do, what we experience, or at least in the stand we
take when we are faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.
Again, this postulation was advanced by Frankl as a result
of his Holocaust experience, but it can be very applicable to our more “mundane”
and “comfortable” existence that most of us are lucky enough to experience.
You, yes YOU, have 100% control of a) your thoughts, or at
least how you interpret them, b) your choices and beliefs, and thus c) your
behaviours and experiences. If physical activity ISN’T important to you,
despite what everyone is saying, don’t do it. You have that choice.
Again, I am bias as I derive a LOT of meaning in my life
from physically active pursuits, but we must acknowledge that with every choice
there is a consequence, and the only person responsible for that is you. So,
you decide you do not want to be physically active or eat healthy, then you
have to accept yourself as a physically inactive person. If you get heart
disease, become over-weight, or develop insulin resistance you have to
acknowledge that you are the only person responsible for these ailments, and
you have a choice to change it.
Frankl says (which I love), your actions on one day do NOT
or should not influence your actions on the next day, as every day presents different
challenges. Just because you have neglected your body and want to make a change
doesn’t mean you’re a less a person for letting yourself slip into poor health
(despite what North American culture will tell you), it just wasn’t a priority
for you in the past, and thus, poor health was the consequence. Now we can get
into the politics of the “burden on the health care system due to inactivity”
but that isn’t the point of this post, the point is that YOU HAVE A CHOICE no
matter what you have done in the past.
So you’ve been overweight your entire
life, your parents taught you to eat like crap, you've never stepped foot in a gym, and you’re depressed. Well you
have a choice as a free person to change everything despite your past circumstances…
If you’re unsure how to make that transition from past to
present, I can tell you the first step is to acknowledge and own that you have
a choice and complete control over every action you make and everything you say,
and thus must take responsibility for the results. I know this because I have
been on top of the world, and at the bottom of it, and the only difference
between the two “lives” I have lived is how I handled my circumstances in terms
of my choices psychologically and behaviourally.
If you’re still unsure what I am rambling about, watch the
video below. It’s not directly pertinent to physically activity, but outlines
the premise of freedom of choice and finding meaning in life.
So I’ll leave it there for now. As always, if you have
questions, concerns, or comments leave them below or if you’d like you can
e-mail me at byntraining@gmail.com
Stay Strong!
~Byn
