The Wall You Keep Walking Into

Have you ever noticed how often we return to the same struggle?

We promise to start over every new year.

We promise to start next week.

We promise to become healthier.

We promise stop repeating behaviors that no longer serve us.

And for a while, it works. The novelty makes us feel that new drive. Momentum pushes us and then life happens, the crash happens and now we are back at point A.

We are suddenly back at familiar patterns. Defeat starts. We begin the internal dialogue:

Exploring the barriers leave us hopeless when we don’t even know where to start. We made a bunch of promises that we would actually do but yet we fall captive to the self-criticism and punishment.

The thing is that you cannot break a barrier that you are yet to recognize or learn about.

And not every barrier can be overcome with willpower. Willpower is not a bottomless pit and without proper recalibration, it can cost you everything you try to do through the promises you told yourself.

This week, we are exploring ways to identify barriers that stand in the way.

Why Your Brain Sometimes Chooses What You Want to Stop Doing

Science has shown that telling someone what they should stop doing increases the chance of them actually doing it. Our brains are funny like that 😅😅

Knowing something is harmful is not enough to stop doing it. Eliminating processes that contribute to progression of disease requires more than the righting reflex.

Familiarity ♾️ Consistency

The more familiar you are with something, the more consistent you are with it = habit.

Therefore, this week, let’s see what each certain habits are doing for you.

If you tend to drink a lot of sweetened juice during the day, what is happening around it that is causing you to require that amount and the frequency?

Use this example, find your journal, and determine what is actually causing this habit. You can only change what you understand in you when it comes to a habit.

The Barrier Audit: INDENTIFY BEFORE INTERVENTION

In Clinical Medicine, we must identify before we perform any interventions. Treating blindly without any bit of identification of cause is a recipe for disaster. Imagine randomly administering antibiotics to someone who went to the Emergency Department for a recent rib fracture with no signs of infection. This would be criticized thoroughly.

Imagine applying this same philosophy to your life and your barriers. If you do not know what the barrier is, change becomes haphazard, and being callous with yourself leads to greater burnout in health.

The Mental Barrier

Maybe your internal dialogue has been on repeat for many years. It has automated to come on at any signal.

“If I cannot do it perfectly, there is no point.”

The Environmental Barrier

Maybe you are surrounded by quick fixes and easy buys. Less brain power is required due to ease of access and so you choose those over the investment in quality time spent.

“What resources are available to you and how can you access them?

The Financial Barrier

Perhaps you are on your last dollar. Maybe you are living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe there is not enough to actually invest in your health, and you see no way out. Maybe resources are limited and access to them becomes a financial burden rather than a blessing.

“What can you do to work on your finances? Is it budgeting? Is it compartmentalizing? Is it percentage sharing of your salary when it comes in?

The Cultural Barrier

Maybe you come from a country which celebrates with high carbohydrates, high-caloric, ultra-processed foods during festive seasons.

“What have you seen about your culture that may be impacting how you interact with your health?”

The Family Barrier

Perhaps your family is not willing to make the changes with you. They may not have understood your reasoning and decided to leave you to sail the ship. Maybe you feel alone in your fight to remain healthy.

“How can your family become a bigger support with your health goals? And if they are not, how are you willing to support yourself on the journey?”

The Patient Who Knows What to Do But Does Not Do it.

Understanding the importance of what to do and actually doing it are two different things.

Here we will apply the B.R.E.A.K Framework:

What have you identified that is specifically preventing follow-throug?

What is making you maintain this behavior or making the recommendation difficult to implement?

What can you change about the environment that could lead to your success?

Identify a realistic step consistent with the healthcare team’s recommendation.

You do not stop when you find what works. You implement. You observe. You determine whether it would stick. You monitor your relationship with what you have learned.

This educational tool allows you to build on what you have been doing for the past few weeks.

The Clinical Adherence System supports the person who is looking for the opportunity to be more consistent, with understanding, structure, and engagement. Without eliminating or redesigning your health plan designed by your licensed healthcare provider.

Track it. Manage it. Sustain it.

Designed for people living with chronic illness, caregivers, and health-conscious individuals, it transforms health management from an overwhelming task into a structured daily practice.

Barriers Become Identity

Think about a challenge that you have faced repeatedly and suddenly you have labeled yourself as the person of the challenge.

You’ve said things like:

I’m inconsistent.

I cannot do this.

I never finish anything.

I’m not smart.

I would also be audacious to say that we should be honest with ourselves when we are the problem. If you are delaying when you should work, then holding yourself accountable is just as important. If every week you are meant to show up and you have intentionally decided not to show up, this is also up for evaluation. Being honest with yourself does not equate to identity shifts.

Your internal dialogue may need to change for a more effective transformation with your barriers.

Here are three statements that you may say to yourself during this week:

You do not need to deny your responsibilities to question the stories you’ve created about yourself.

forget the script. write the story

🎙️Talks With Joy: A Five-to-Ten-Minute Podcast exploring the relationship between Health and Human Experiences - Simplifying Health using everyday experiences. The uniqueness of this podcast is that it uses the theme of TV back in the day — not the modern look of streaming. — I guess I’m an old soul.

The Seven-Day Barrier Breaker

Choose one behavior that you would like to work on, without focusing exclusively on whether you succeed or fail.

Apply The BREAK Framework to Day 1 through Day 5.

On Day 6: Test one appropriate change.

On Day 7: Reflect on what you learned applying the BREAK framework and the change you applied.

Send me an email if it works for you. We want to hear about your results and how it worked. This is a confidential exchange between you and Health X Institute, and no point will your identifying details be used publicly.

Fun Fact: The Barrier Is Not Always the End of the Road

There will be moments when life challenges your intentions.

The universe sends peppery treats that feel like it’s against your plans.

Sometimes nonchalance can be bottled-up fear and frustration, and the vicious cycle of your barriers keep you trapped.

Learning what you need to change can make you feel anxious, tired, overwhelmed. This is why support helps you lift the load and take the next step.

Giving up in a life that grants you the grace to show up may feel easy, but it is not the answer.

Break the Barriers. Simply because you can!