Most of us are very familiar with the Just Say No campaign started in the early 1980s in an effort to discourage children from using illegal drugs. It would be hard to quantify if this advertising campaign was successful, and it drew a lot of criticism for various reasons. Just saying no is a must in terms of certain drugs, behaviors, and activities, but when trying to apply it to most things in life, it fails.
How many times have you tried to quit something cold-turkey? Maybe you decided to cut out sugar, give up coffee, or quit snacking between meals or late at night. You love chocolate, but commit to not eating it. The highlight of your morning is sipping on those three cups of java. And you can’t imagine binging on that Netflix series at night without the salty crunch of those potato chips.
So, what do we do? We say enough is enough, and we quit. We know life without these behaviors will lead to the health and wellness we long for. Eliminating those bad vices will help alleviate those nagging health issues and allow us to live a longer, more vibrant life.
And it works! For a day or so. Okay… maybe a little longer. But those days are plagued with pervasive thoughts about whatever it is we gave up. Our happiness waivers, our moods are affected, and there is a nagging feeling that something is missing in the back of our heads. Ultimately, we cave…and not just reintroduce that food or drink we were trying to eliminate, but end up consuming more of it.
A much better strategy could be to just cut down instead of cutting out. Surely less of a bad thing is better than more. And over time, cutting down will have a much bigger impact on your health and wellness than the ups and downs of cutting out, binging, cutting out, and binging again and again.
One or two cups of coffee is better than four or five. A small bowl of ice cream is better than two pints. One piece of pizza is better than three. And a few bites of dessert are better than a plateful. Smaller portions and fewer servings will still quench that deep-seeded craving you have without destroying your health.
Another option is to limit your use to certain days or times. Eating clean and avoiding certain foods and drinks during the week, but allowing yourself to indulge on the weekends leads to only two days of less-than-optimal behavior rather than seven. Limiting your vices to specific days or times of days results in less bad behavior, still gives you the pleasure that you crave, and helps to avoid the binging that occurs when failing to give something up completely.
Many health experts discourage “cheat days.” I am a fan. I find that eating clean during the week is much easier if I know that there is a day coming when I can let loose and indulge. And because my weekdays are much more predictable and structured, it is easier to stick to stricter rules on those days.
It is nearly impossible to be 100% perfect all of the time when it comes to eat healthy. Schedules change, things come up, and choices can be limited. And we only live once. If you absolutely love a particular food or drink, have it. But limit how much you have and how often you have it. And choose healthier versions of whatever it is you give way to, with less chemicals, artificial ingredients, and toxic flavorings and preservatives, and made by companies vested in sustainability, conscious of the quality of their product, and interested in putting out healthier versions of whatever it is they are making.
Humans do not do well with depravation and are inclined to overindulge. Just saying no leads to ups and downs that can cause more sickness and disease, more weight gain, more frustration, and ongoing struggles. Try just saying less and see how much better you feel, how much more successful you are, and how much happier you will be. Why set yourself up for failure with Just Say No campaigns when you can Just Say Less?
