3 Life Environments That Impact Results

Environment dictates behaviour. 

I find this statement to be true.

For example, I’m going to act very differently at a family meal with the in-laws vs at the pub with a few friends. 

Perhaps I’d dress differently. 

Speak a little differently. 

Behave differently.

This doesn’t make me 2 faced or mean I’m not authentic. 

I’d just chose to behave differently based on the environment I was in.

When it comes to health & Fitness, our behaviours ultimately determine our outcomes. 

Which means that controlling our environment should be of high importance for anybody looking to get a result in health & fitness. 

Let’s look at a few ways you can do that.

The Home

2 of the most important rooms in the home for our health & fitness are the kitchen and the bedroom.

The Kitchen

Controlling the kitchen environment will influence our behaviours around food. 

For example, when you open the cupboards, what do you see first? 

Is it the biscuit tin? Or a box of chocolates? 

If high calorie, tasty snacks are readily available, then it can be easy to mindlessly reach for them when we’re hungry, stressed or bored. 

You could consider not even having these things in the house if you find that you’re unable to control your intake and that’s taking your further away from how you want to look and feel. 

Or perhaps you still want them available, but just not as easily accessible. 

Try putting them at the back of the cupboard or behind some snacks that would be more in alignment with your goal. 

That way when you go to the cupboard, there is a literal barrier between you and the foods that could be taking you further away from your goal. 

This may not stop you from deciding to have high calorie foods. But the key is making that a conscious decision, rather than acting on a craving or mindlessly reaching for food. 

My suggestion is to perform a ‘Kitchen Audit’. 

Get the room organised and create an environment that encourages the behaviours you want to practice. 

I’ve even seen people place sticky notes on certain food containers like “are you sure you want to eat this? Or are you just bored?”

It may sound a little extreme or over the top. 

But ultimately if it’s going to enhance your quality of life, I’d consider that worthwhile. 

The Bedroom 

Another key factor in improving how we look, move and feel is our sleep.

The bedroom environment needs to be constructed to enhance sleep. 

(I cover this in more detail on the podcast episode 18 - 5 Step Guide to improving sleep. If you’d like more detail I encourage you to go and check that out)

The key here is that good sleep doesn’t happen accidentally. 

Our bedroom needs to be: cool and dark.

We also need to limit any potential sleep distractions. Such as our phones. 

Try to create an environment that promotes the best possible sleep. 

This will have a huge impact on your results! 

Work Environment

Many of the same principles for home apply at work. 

We’re trying to encourage behaviours that contribute to improved health and wellness. 

A few questions for you to consider. 

Is lunch prepared at home? Or is it purchased? 

If purchased, where am I shopping and is it possible to make smart food choices there?

What location do I physically eat my lunch? Is this impacting my choices?

Am I always tempted by office snacks / treats?

Who in the workplace (if anyone) is notorious for encouraging high calorie snacking?

Am I able to move often throughout the day? 

Am I taking regular breaks? 

Could I stretch / move more at any point in the day? 

Does my workplace take employee health & wellness seriously? 

Are my professional boundaries clear to not jeopardise my own health for the sake of work? 

We spend an enormous amount of our day / lives in the work environment. 

If you feel your workplace environment is negatively affecting your health and wellness, these questions could lead to making a few simple changes that could improve your health and wellness at work.

Whether that’s to improve your lunchtime habits, daily movement or stress management.

Small improvements add up to a big difference… But I also wouldn’t dismiss the idea of major change. 

There have been several clients I’ve worked with that have completely changed careers for the sake of their health. Sometimes taking less money in the process. 

The cliché saying that “health is wealth” is true. 

Far too many busy professionals sacrifice their health in the pursuit of more money or a higher position.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be in need of completely changing your work environment.

Friends / Family 

They say that you’re the average sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. 

It makes sense that if your friends and family are seriously into their health and fitness… They train often, like to go hiking or do other activities in their spare time. You’re going to be fitter and healthier too, because you’ll be doing that stuff with them. 

If they like to go to the pub and watch Netflix… chances are you’re not going to be as fit or in shape. 

This is quite a delicate subject and one I’m always cautious to address. 

But there is sometimes a tendency, that as someone tries to improve their health and fitness it can create distance in their friendships. 

Your friends get used to certain behaviours. And when you make an effort to change those behaviours, it may make your friends uncomfortable because they liked you as you were. 

In some cases, this can even lead to people growing apart and switching who they spend their time with because the people they formerly spent time with, no longer share the same values.

That being said…. If you encounter a lack of support from friends or family… it’s often just a case of explaining what you’re trying to achieve and asking for help to stay accountable to your goals. 

Good friends will be more than happy to help. 

Much like changing your job if your health is at stake.

In some cases, changing who we spend time with could be a major change that’s needed for your long term health and wellness.

In summary

Remember that your “environment dictates behaviour”

We’ve looked specifically at 3 environments that can influence your health and wellness.

Home.

Work.

Family / Friends.

Often it’s just a case of being more intentional and trying to create an environment that supports the life you want to lead. 

It could be a few small tweaks that make the management of your health and fitness easier. 

… But sometimes more drastic changes in our environment is required. 

The takeaway is to go and look at these 3 areas and start making some adjustments. 

In doing so, it’ll become easier to stick to behaviours that will ultimately lead you to the best possible results!