Want to Make Healthier Lifestyle Choices? Here are 4 Essential Tips

Are you tired of hitting the snooze button instead of going for that morning run, or reaching for unhealthy snacks instead of the nutritious options you packed? You're not alone. Many of us struggle with making choices that align with our long-term health goals, often opting for immediate gratification instead.

But why is it so hard to prioritise our future well-being over instant rewards? Researchers from Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania have been exploring this question, and their findings offer valuable insights that can help you make better decisions about your health.

One concept they've identified is called present bias, which is our tendency to focus more on the present moment than on the future. In other words, we're wired to seek immediate pleasure, even if it means sacrificing our long-term health. Additionally, our past experiences heavily influence our behaviour—if a certain choice has led to positive outcomes in the past, we're more likely to repeat it, even if it's not the best option in the long run.

To help us understand why we make the choices we do, researchers have developed The Process Model of Behaviour Change. This model breaks down our decision-making process into four stages: situation, attention, appraisal, and response.

Let's break it down: