Scheduling training times on the calendar and setting small achievable goals are just two ways you can focus on rebuilding your healthy habits.
NPR Michael Driver
The early days of blockade restrictions had a major impact on people’s daily lives. Sales of alcoholic beverages increased sharply, the amount of exercise decreased sharply, and “comfortable eating” also led to weight gain.
So what happened after March 2020? After two years of pandemic life, many of these effects persist. The strategies we have used to adapt and deal with are well-established in many of our habits. And this is not a surprise to scientists studying behavioral changes.
Katie Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania said, “I know that when a shock occurs and a change in behavior occurs over a long period of time, it tends to have a carry-over effect because it sticks to the behavior.” increase.Book How to change.. In other words, it can be difficult to break our pandemic habits.
For example, consider alcohol consumption. In the first week of the March 2020 stay-at-home order, Nielsen tracked a 54% increase in national alcohol sales. This happened when bars and restaurants closed. Rand’s study reported a 41% increase in women’s heavy drinking in the months that followed. (Binge drinking was defined as a woman drinking four or more glasses within a few hours.)
“The concern is the fact that increased drinking is associated with stress and coping,” says Dr. Aaron White of the National Institute for Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He points out a study that found a 50% increase in the number of people who said they drank to deal with COVID in the months immediately following its onset compared to before the pandemic.
Alcohol sales fell after a surge in sales in the spring of 2020.
However, according to the latest Nielsen data, beer, wine and spirits sales in early 2022 remain higher than in 2019. This trend is reflected every year. Spirits sales totaled about $ 16.3 billion in 2019, but 2021. Conclusion: Alcohol sales remain higher after inflation adjustments than before the pandemic.
Changes in physical activity follow a similar pattern. Scientists at UC San Francisco analyzed data from the wellness smartphone app Argus, which tracks the daily steps of users in countries around the world. A month after the house-at-home order was inaugurated in the spring of 2020, people took an average of about 27% less steps per day. This is 1,432 steps less.
And what has happened since then? “The first decline in activity was really the most dramatic,” explains research author Jeff Tyson, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who continues to track data on smartphones. In the United States, during the spring and summer months (both 2020 and 2021), physical activity became active, cases receded, and sunlight increased, but in the fall, including a surge in Omicron this winter. It decreased again in the midst of a surge in winter. However, the movement trends are very different. On average, people move less, but some people used their time to get in shape during the pandemic.
“I don’t think it’s amazing,” says Tison. He says physical activity levels are gradually increasing, but have not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. “Forks are a creature of habit and have been around for almost two years. I think people may not be very accustomed to working,” he says.
This tendency can be even more pronounced for older Americans. According to a University of Michigan survey, 40% of people over the age of 65 report less movement in a pandemic.
And do you remember the early pandemic baking frenzy with three consecutive victories of bad pandemic habits? Yes, there is also evidence of weight gain. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco analyzed data from volunteers who reported weight using a Bluetooth-connected smart scale early in the pandemic, and found an average weight gain of 1.5 pounds per month.
“This is an important lesson for all of us,” said Dr. Gregory Marcus, a research author at the University of California, San Francisco. Overeating was easy because many of us were often at home. The combined effects of weight gain, stress, alcohol, and reduced movement can adversely affect heart health.
“Prevention of chronic diseases has been hit hard nationwide,” said Michael Honigberg, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
He points out a study that recorded elevated blood pressure during the first year of the pandemic. The survey included approximately 500,000 people from all 50 states enrolled in an employer-sponsored wellness program run by Quest Diagnostics.
“Blood pressure has risen by an average of more than 2 points and more than a millimeter of mercury,” says Honigberg. This is a small change for individual patients, but at the population level, this level of elevated blood pressure can lead to increased risk, especially if the trend persists.
“One of the things I’m very worried about is whether this could increase the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and other such complications in the coming years,” Honigberg said. say. In addition to this, he says more people have missed preventive care in the pandemic. Everything from delayed cholesterol checks to cancer screening is now diagnosed with cancer at a later stage.
So, when it’s time for a collective reboot, is anyone listening to reset the pandemic habits? Marcus says he is optimistic. “When talking to my patient [some] People are beginning to take advantage of some of the flexibility that comes with remote work. For example, physical activity can be incorporated into normal daily life, “says not everyone has that flexibility, but” we can all change for the better. ” Marcus says.
Here are four tips to get you started:
Book yourself
“I often advise patients to calendar their workouts and physical activity to make sure they know what they’re actually trying to do,” says Marcus. Just as you don’t skip work meetings or doctor appointments, you can stick to it by spending time on your calendar, walking, running, or going to the gym.
Set a bite-sized goal
If you want to run a marathon, you have to start from one mile. You want to focus on something that can progress every day. “If you set a bite-sized goal, you’re more likely to reach it,” says Katy Milkman. This is true whether you are trying to exercise, change your diet, or save money. Saving $ 150 A month is the same as saving $ 5 a day, but focusing on smaller daily goals will make you feel better. The goal is neither huge nor impossible.
Have fun
Would you like to see a new streaming show your friends are talking about? Try this: wait until you’re in the gym. That way, you can reach your workout goals and enjoy them at the same time. Or, if you want to meet your friends again, ask them to take a walk. You will combine rekindling friendship with entering your steps. “If you don’t enjoy pursuing your goals, you won’t stick,” says Milkman.
Bet on yourself
There is science to support the idea that if you have to stick to a plan and give up something, you are likely to reach your goal. “If you have a great study of smokers who want to quit smoking and have a way to spend money on a line that must expire if you fail to reach your goal within 6 months, your success rate will increase by 30%.” Says Milkman. This can be done on websites such as STIKK or bet with friends and partners. Milkman says this can be very motivating.
And it’s almost spring. “My research on the’fresh start’effect has actually shown that there are moments in our lives that feel like new beginnings, including the beginning of spring,” Milkman said. Says. So take advantage of this seasonal change – the weather is nice and the days are long. Research shows that the idea of a “new start” can provide additional nudge to get started and can be followed through.
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