Diana Hill, Ph.D., a modern psychologist and co-author of ACT Daily Journal, discusses strategies to motivate others to be more physically active. Topics include breaking sedentary habits, the importance of movement and values, the power of choice in behavior change, sustaining change, and joining others to create stronger connections.
Approaching movement from a collective perspective and fostering open-minded conversations with psychological flexibility can create a supportive and respectful environment.
Understanding our own values behind movement and respecting the values of others is crucial for cultivating a positive and diverse relationship with movement.
Deep dives
Promoting Movement in Others
When trying to encourage others to engage in more movement, it is important to approach it from a collective perspective rather than trying to push or pull them onto our own 'movement board.' Psychological flexibility plays a key role in fostering open-minded conversations and understanding different values. Understanding our own values behind movement and recognizing the values of others can help create a supportive and respectful environment. Deep listening and reflecting back on the perspectives of others without trying to impose our own beliefs is vital. By giving people the autonomy to make choices and reinforcing small behavior changes, we can sustain movement and create a positive relationship with it.
Psychological Flexibility and Movement
Psychological flexibility, which involves staying present, open, and engaged, plays a crucial role in our relationship with movement. It allows us to be present and engage with discomfort, while pursuing our values even in the face of challenges. Understanding the 'why' behind movement and its importance to us personally is key. Recognizing and respecting different perspectives and values around movement, even if they differ from our own, is essential for psychological flexibility. By being psychologically flexible and open to different perspectives while staying true to our values, we can navigate conversations about movement and create opportunities for positive change.
Exploring Values and Movement
Understanding our values and the reasons why movement is important to us is crucial in our relationship with movement. Our values behind movement go beyond just physical well-being and can include personal growth, kindness to oneself, and living in alignment with our beliefs. Recognizing that everyone may have different values and motivating factors behind movement is important. Engaging in open conversations and deep listening, without judging or imposing our own values on others, allows us to better understand and respect their perspectives. By exploring values and how these values show up in various movement choices, we can cultivate a positive and diverse relationship with movement.
Keeping Change Going
Once we initiate change, it is important to sustain and continue it over time. Recognizing that detours and setbacks are part of the change process is crucial. We can keep change going by reinforcing small behavior changes and celebrating progress, as well as being psychologically flexible when encountering new choices and challenges. By reinforcing our values and intrinsic rewards rather than relying on external rewards, we can maintain motivation and make choices that align with our values. Embracing the concept of a labyrinth rather than a maze, where each choice point is an opportunity to choose our values, helps us navigate and sustain long-lasting change.
Diana Hill, Ph.D. is a modern psychologist, mother, and co-author of ACT Daily Journal: Get unstuck and live fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She is the host of the podcast show Your Life in Process, blogs for Psychology Today, is on the clinical advisory board of Lightfully Behavioral Health, and offers regular meditations on Insight Timer Meditation.