Corona Virus Covid-19 Pandemic Catalyst for Healthy Changes: Pattern Disruption/Interruption on Steroids

Corona Virus Covid-19 Pandemic Catalyst for Healthy Changes: Pattern Disruption/Interruption on Steroids

By Stacy Phillips 

Can you say "Pattern Disruption on STEROIDS?" I can.
We’ve just been handed a BIG one!

Studies in behavior change psychology and neuroscience (actually changing our wiring and firing in our brains) have shown that “pattern interruption” can play a BENEFICIAL (understatement) role in our lives, IF we are wanting to make changes in our habits and lifestyles (Smith, et. al, 2016)*

We are, right NOW, experiencing the biggest “pattern disruption/pattern interruption” I have ever experienced in my entire life (including 9/11). We are likely to have at LEAST this level (LIKELY much more) disruption for the next few months into July or August, according to the Presidents Corona virus task force briefing today.

"So tell me, Stacy, cuz I've really got to hear this one, how in the WORLD can you even say that this might be a good thing?!?!?!"

No. I'm not saying HOW our patterns got disrupted is good in this case. Sometimes we can CREATE a favorable one, on purpose, such as going on a spiritual retreat for example, or church-camp when we were little, taking a beach vacation, etc. Basically a pattern disruption on a grand scale changes our situation and surroundings to such a degree that it takes us (and our brains along with us, in most cases lol) OUT of what is familiar. As a result, our brains can't rely on automation AS MUCH (I don't know HOW I got into this Taco Bell drive-thru, I don't remember CHOOSING to be here, the car kinda drove itself....).

WHEN we are out of "our element" so to speak, when things or situations or places are LESS familiar to us, we DO become more mindful, present and aware of our surroundings as a result. We can do that on purpose, by design, or we can do that by default because of circumstances outside of our control. THIS WILL HAPPEN to us all.

What IS in our control is our decision as to whether this will cause us to become MORE CHRONICALLY STRESSED, or can BENEFIT us in the short and long run.

Again, our focus WILL be more acute, things ARE going to be less familiar, and our brains are going to have to put a lot of extra effort into the next weeks and months, simply by the nature of the fact that it is new.

TWO OPTIONS:
1) No intentional positive changes are made during this time:
If we are focusing (by default) on the crisis, bad news, our perceived helplessness in it all, the negativity all over the internet, or the entire 8 (or is it 9?) seasons of Game of Thrones from the beginning because we are seeking to distract ourselves or find "escape" from our circumstances, it's likely we will only increase our chronic stress. When our chronic stress is INCREASED it causes a decrease both in immunity and resilience to disease if we DO catch something. (https://www.apa.org/research/action/immune)
Can I recommend AGAINST that scenario? Especially right now?

2) Intentional positive changes are made during this time:
If, instead, we can shift our FOCUS (because we will have intense focus over the next days, weeks and months) onto stepping into a process of intentionally developing habits of health, with guidance and an amazing community, well, predictable transformation CAN occur in our lives. I've seen it time and time again, in our lives and the lives of many others we've worked with.

Either way, welcome to the pattern disruption. A pandemic, (and the preventative measures and precautions being taken RIGHT NOW) can most certainly be DEFINED as a pattern disruption, a pattern interruption. And science tells us that it is not the reason behind how our patterns were disrupted, but what we DO with that disruption that matters, and it IS often in deepest adversity that the seed of change finally takes root and people begin to take charge of their own lives.

This is what happened with David and I, when we decided to change our lives 10 years ago, after Julian's kidney transplant.

So, a key question I took some time to ask and answer for myself last week was "How can I reframe this narrative to change how I look at the next two weeks?" Or how about the next two months? We weren’t the architects of this particular pattern interrupt, but I think it’s safe to say that we will ALL be affected by it!

I know the direction I want to head in my health, and I’m going to use this time to both develop NEW and hone /refine EXISTING healthy habits, to weave them into my life in all areas! Nutrition, motion, sleep, and my healthy surroundings!

And I'll tell you what, I want friends on this journey with me, using group zooms, text, social media, private community facebook groups and phone calls for encouragement and support, because creating new ways of being in community is going to be KEY for all of us during this season and beyond! And it's no fun to do this alone, in a vacuum. David and I dialing it in, and we want to dial it in WITH you!

This year, let St. Patricks Day be a reset on our New Year’s Resolutions.

Let this be a HOPEFUL time, and know that we CAN use this time to THRIVE in our health, which is the BEST GIFT WE CAN GIVE ourselves and our family, literally, during THIS TIME, for all the reasons that have been talked about in the last month. Evidence is coming out from China and now around the world that the healthier we are, the more resilient we are to this virus. David and I have seen people begin to transform their lives and get RESULTS (when they work closely with us) right away, our clients feel better and have more energy in a very short time, no matter where they started in their health on their journey!

I’ve been taught by those wiser than me that “The Obstacle IS the Way”, and there is a GIFT on the other side of the obstacle, FIND THE GIFT in this adversity. Ironically, it may be that the time is finally right for you, amidst this uncertain time of a GLOBAL PANDEMIC, that you FIND your health. What an amazing story that would be. We’re here for you, if you want to explore what that might look like, working with us, and who knows, even perhaps partnering with us to help those you love also.

A candle’s flame is never diminished when it lights another candle.

This is what David and I DO, and it is our desire to walk with you INTO health, yes even during this time! Will this be an OBSTACLE for getting healthy, or a CATALYST for getting healthy? You decide!

I pray for a speedy resolution, and as we come up on Easter and Passover Celebrations, both these holidays are even more meaningful (which sounds strange, but it is true) here in 2020 to me in their messages, even though they’ve always been dear to my heart.

PS. We CAN even set up your nutrition plan to where you don’t need to enter the grocery store for ANY reason until you are a healthy weight! Yeah. We can do that if that is important to you.

*Smith KS, Graybiel AM. Habit formation. Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2016;18(1):33–43. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4826769/

Be well. Stay Safe.

Rinse and Repeat.

Stacy Phillips

MS, NDTR, Independent OPTAVIA Coach

#mycoachstacy

#inspiractional

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