In Montessori education, they talk about “letting the environment doing the work.” The idea is that the environment becomes a supportive structure to feed good habits, without so much “push” (or pull) from the teacher. This reduces conflict and friction between the teacher and student. It also allows the child greater dignity.
How can we apply this idea to overeating?
Neuroscience research affirms what many of experience everyday with food: we are creatures of habit. Our will power – that split second when we have the choice to say yes or no to a stimulus (like hot chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven!) rides backseat to our habitual responses: what we typically do on a daily basis.
Changing our habits takes effort and work. It’s often uncomfortable and hard. Creating a supportive environment is one way we can make this step easier, and live in greater alignment with our values and goals.
If you prepare the environment, you don’t have to fight so much. It creates ease. How can preparing your environment work for you?
Here examples of how you can put this principle at work in your life:
- If having certain trigger foods in the house increases your cravings, try keeping them out of sight or out of the house.
- Put out your exercise clothes the night before so that you see them and put them on first thing in the morning.
- Keep your fridge stocked with healthy foods, so that when you’re hungry, you have options. (I apply this principle in my life by almost always having a big pot of soup in my fridge. When life gets hectic (which is often, in my life!), I have something healthy to eat that I can quickly heat up.)
- Have regular, structured meal times.
- If you’re trying to do less of something – like TV watching, for example – put the TV out of sight and books (or whatever you’d like to do more of) in sight.
How can you create ease in your environment? How can you make your external environment a supportive container to support your growth process, to give you stable ground to stand on as you grow into new habits?
We often dismiss this practice because we think it’s for babies (or children.) Giving ourselves what we need so that we can grow is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of wisdom, vulnerability, and courage. It’s parenting our gentle hearts with love, kindness and wisdom: “Let me take good, good care of you.”
