Will consuming information and knowledge make an impact on our behaviors?
Will the right information motivate us to make changes in our lives?
Will information alone suffice or is something more required to sustain behavior change?
As someone who loves to learn about different aspects of health, I strongly believe in the power of information and knowledge gleaned from multiple sources.
When I started researching about artificial ingredients that are added to packaged foods, the information I came across was convincing enough for me to make changes to my food preferences. Over time, the changes and habits have become ingrained and I'm no longer tempted by a pack of chips or cookies.
When I read about how technology players are exploiting psychological vulnerabilities and our inherent biases to get us hooked on social media and other platforms, it made it easier to consciously reduce my attention and time spent on digital platforms.
I'm currently reading this fantastic book "Why We Sleep" and I'm learning how the different stages of sleep are equally important and how various factors such as blue light, alcohol, caffeine, and alarm clocks/snooze buttons impact our sleep. The knowledge gained through this one single book is sufficient enough for anyone to make sleep an absolute priority. It pushes me to focus on getting a good night's sleep and make changes to my evening routine that hinders sleep. Though I have been prioritizing sleep for the last few years, there were many factors that I didn't know about.
Continuous Learning => Information and knowledge => New ideas and Changes in perspectives => Behavior change
Underlying this chain reaction is the bedrock of our values. In an earlier post, I had written about good health as one of my top values.
If our values are aligned with our learning, then behavior change is imminent with new information.
But if we are learning about a topic that isn't connected to our values, then it is quite likely that we wouldn't be motivated to make any changes.
Get a clear understanding of your values. The rest will fall in place automatically.