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 meaningleads 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
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