Can You Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle? You Bet – If You Believe You Can!

What do you need to change your life and adopt healthy lifestyle habits? Turns out, one of the most important factors is a “can-do” attitude, according to a recent study by researchers from the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.

The researchers studied more than 7,000 people and discovered that those who believed that they had the power to change their habits and lifestyles did so. According to the study, these participants:

• ate healthier food
• exercised more
• smoked less
• avoided binge drinking

Conversely, those who believed in fate or luck rather than free will were less likely to adopt healthy habits.

Gender differences
Interestingly, the study found some differences between men and women: the men who adopted healthy habits wanted to see more results (“expect to have higher health returns to their investments”) while the women who adopted healthy habits did so out of satisfaction that the healthy habits themselves brought, not necessarily for the reward.

Be positive!
The moral of the story? Our personalities and our attitudes can do a lot to help—or hinder—our health, so as corny as it may seem, try to embrace positivity and a “can-do” attitude!