Consistency: Why self compassion is essential for sustainable behaviour change
Posted on February 17, 2025 by Jo Hall, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
We’re far too hard on ourselves when we experience setbacks...we are biologically hardwired to take the easiest route.
I say this to people (including myself) a lot.
It’s okay to fall off the wagon, just keep getting back on.
When we’re working to change habits and behaviours, we will inevitably fall back into old ways somewhere along the line, even if only temporarily.
We’re far too hard on ourselves when we experience setbacks. There’s a really powerful force pulling us back there, we are biologically hard wired to take the easiest route.
Our brains have grooves, often deeply entrenched, that provide a path of least resistance in the milliseconds that it takes us to make decisions throughout the day, however big or small.
On auto pilot, our subconscious mind guides us back to these paths, assuring us that the well trodden is the easiest, quickest and ultimately “safest”route.
Consider that our subconscious mind governs 95% of our thoughts (which govern our actions) and much of this programming is established by the time we reach 7 years old.
It’s really powerful and it’s been there a long time.
It’s no wonder that up against this, will-power alone is ineffective for lasting behaviour change.
In the beginning as we’re breaking a habit and creating a new one, we need to accept that it will take a certain amount of effort to push ourselves into the new and unknown territory of the new habit.
Consistency in this process of change is to keep coming back to the new habit after we’ve fallen off. If we accept from the beginning that we will at some point fall, we’ll be prepared when we do.
Acknowledge that you’ve fallen, give yourself a day, week even month if you need it.
But set the intention from the start that you won’t give up completely, and practice sticking to it.
