Topic 1 – Habit Formation, It Starts with You

Can we save the NHS? Impossible, I hear your say.

Well not quite. Could it perhaps start with you?

I’d say a hefty chunk may come from the choices you make.

And this WILL make a substantial difference.

But we all know the NHS is on its knees with

• Staff recruitment issues
• Staff retention issues
• Staff replacement issues
• Limited resources
• The aftermaths of Brexit
• The aftermaths of the Covid-19 pandemic
• The backlog of patients on waiting lists
• And poorly executed public policy
• The list goes one…. it sounds rather depressing.

Forget all of that for now. Let’s focus on what you can do as an individual and what is in your control. Take responsibility for your own health and make sure you optimise your good habits, acquire new & better habits. And the hardest of all, reduce your bad habits. You can for example gamify this process by finding an accountability partner, ensuring there are positive or negative rewards for taking or for not taking action. The choice is after all, yours.

Let’s say you go for that run or decide to do some exercise. Well done, you can then watch an episode of your favourite programme on Netflix as a reward. Or, let’s say you don’t. Well you’ve agreed to your other half that you’ll then be doing the washing up for the next week. Normalise the new-found behaviour by making it easier to take action, re-inforce it by ascribing positive meaning to it (don’t forget to pat yourself on the back however childish it may sound) and make it a routine!

Most importantly, make it fun, achievable and realistic. As the late Dr Michael Mosley would have said, start with ‘Just One Thing’.

On a Personal Note

As a GP, I make a considerable effort to emphasise the importance of lifestyle choices to my patients – whether this is about managing stress better, reducing alcohol intake (or stopping completely), giving up smoking, or taking pro-active steps to increase physical activities or eating healthily to tackle obesity, etc. This also extends to mental health as well because keeping fit and active helps the mind to stay positive and resilient.

Habit essentially boils down to human behaviour and understanding the human psychology (more on this in Week 4), but the reality is that we all have varying degrees of weaknesses (e.g. writing this at 12am and ignoring the importance of sleep), and no one is perfect, however disciplined we may be.

But I genuinely believe that if I can deliver even a drop of motivation to the patient sat in front of me (or to you, as the reader of this blog), there may be a small enough change to start a positive chain reaction to making better choices. So, take that leap of faith and just do it, like the Nike slogan.

As Harry Truman said, ‘Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.’

And as Benjamin Franklin said, ‘A ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure’.

The Point

The aim here is to find what works for you when it comes to habit formation whilst we know old habits die hard and circumstances may have meant you had been dealt a bad deck of cards to begin with. We all have our good days, we all have our bad days – and that’s just life. But what is really important is that you are in the driving seat in owning your health and you must make those smarter choices to be in prime position to take the lead. After all, the NHS and your doctor are here to help but the relationship should be one of a partnership where you ultimately have to take responsibility.

Recommendations

Here are a few books on habit formation you may find useful:

Tiny Habits by Dr B J Fogg

Atomic Habits by James Clear

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Just One Thing by Dr Michael Mosley

Tips for Forming Habits

• Start Small: Begin with a manageable version of the habit.
• Be Consistent: Regular practice is critical for embedding a habit.
• Use Triggers: Pair the habit with a specific time, place, or action as a cue.
• Track Progress: Keeping a log or checklist can help maintain consistency.
• Be Patient: If the habit feels unnatural at first, stick with it – it takes time to become automatic.

If you are need further support or struggling in any way, please make an appointment to see your GP. There may be local services or communities that can help as well.