Practice: The "Five Whys"

Jenna Zaffino [00:00:08]: 

Hi. I'm Jenna. Welcome to the 5 whys practice. Now in a previous session, we explored the question, what does this sensation want me to know? If you haven't watched that one, it's a good one to start with. I suggest you go back over to it and then come back to this one. If you have watched that one, then you can think of the five wise practice as being a natural progression of that first initial question. Not only can it give you more information about the sensations that you're experiencing within your body, but it can also be a really useful strategy for helping you make informed decisions about the way that you're supporting your overall health and well-being. I like to use this one in particular when it comes to cravings, especially those moments where maybe you haven't eaten enough during the day and you finally make it home and there's the pantry and there are those salty good satiating snacks and, you know it's not the best thing for you, but you reach for it anyways. 

And then before you know it, you're feeling a little dehydrated and you're still hungry, and now you wanna eat more and it feels like everything has been a little upended by the initial craving. Just me just me or anybody else. So let's take that scenario and insert the 5 whys practice. Let's say you come home, you're very hungry, you open that pantry and you see a box of very salty crackers and you think, yes, that is where I wanna go right now. Before you start, ask the first why. Why do I want those crackers? Well, I'm hungry and I didn't really eat enough today overall, So I need something fast and something satisfying. Okay. Why is that? Well, I'm feeling a little bit unsettled. 

I'm feeling a little light headed and I really feel I'm feeling hangry and I need some food that's gonna be easy to eat and quick. Why? Well, because I guess I'm looking for something that will help me feel better overall because I don't like the way I'm feeling right now. Why? Well, because the way I'm feeling right now doesn't feel like me. I feel like I'm having a really stressful moment and it's due to food and I'm trying to solve it, but I don't like the way I feel. Why? Because I actually feel better when I've been fed and when I'm nourished and when I eat regularly and, you know, I just wanna get back to that piece. So maybe within the context of that conversation that you're having with yourself, you realize that because you want to be fed, you like the way you feel when you've eaten regularly and you've had a good meal, maybe the crackers on their own aren't the best choice for you. Maybe instead you have now the information that could tell you, you know what, I'm gonna have some crackers but I'm gonna pair them with some hummus dip or some cheese or a little bit of turkey or avocado or something else that's going to help satiate me overall so I get to have my good tasty craving worthy snack, but then I'm also gonna take it one step further to make sure that I'm really attending to the overall health and wellness needs of my body. Now this takes practice obviously. 

It takes an open mind and it takes a willingness to dialogue with yourself. And 5 whys initially may not be enough, but they're definitely a good start. Another example is when it comes to exercise. We all know we should exercise but depending on what's going on with our body and our energy overall we might not be excited or motivated to exercise, So perhaps you insert the 5 whys here. I know I should exercise. Why? Because my doctor tells me I should exercise. Why? Because they're trying to support my health and well-being by making sure that I exercise my lungs as much as I can and I also move my joints so I can stay mobile. Why? Also I can stay mobile throughout my life and I can interact with my loved ones or my grandchildren or my children or my pets and it's not going to feel like it takes me out. 

Like I have the reserve to do that and why? Well, I want to live a life that's movement oriented. I wanna live a life that involves other people and my pets. I want to be self-sufficient. Why? Because I'm a full person and I'm  really excited about my independence as a full person and I wanna be able to do things with my life. I want to have more purpose in my life. So at this point and clearly, I'm just dialoguing. But at this point we've gone from a place of I know it should work out, but I don't want to to a place of I'm going to work out because it brings me on a pathway towards more purpose in my life. And that as a motivator is twice as high as dragging yourself to the gym or to a class or online here to do something that you know you should do but you don't really want to do. 

So it's a little bit of a brain hack to get in there and figure out a bigger want, a bigger reason for doing the things that you know will be supportive to you. So for your weaving well-being tip and your journal exercise in general, I'd like you to consider something that maybe you know you should do or maybe you have intentions to do. Perhaps it's adding more veggies or greens to your meals. Perhaps it's getting a little more exercise or better sleep throughout the week. Maybe it's drinking more water. Maybe it's just reconnecting with a loved one and having a good conversation to feel more like yourself. Choose one of those things that's important to you and go ahead and see which thought comes up in your mind. Maybe it's I know I should or maybe it's I really want to do whatever the desired behavior is. 

Once you get that initial thought, write it down and then take the time to answer the question why at least 5 times. If you're really into it, you can go more. The focus is on expanding your perspective surrounding the want to do the behavior that you know will be helpful but maybe needs a little more motivation or qualification or information behind it. My hope for you with this practice is that it gives you a sense of agency and autonomy, control and influence over your decision making when it comes to your health. And by the way, this can work beautifully with your stress management as well. Sometimes you can ask the question, what does this sensation want me to know? And then you can follow it up with 5 whys and get a little more information from which to move forward with. So I hope this practice serves you well in putting you back into the driver's seat of your health and understanding why it's important to you. Remember you are strong and resilient and the small moments like this really do matter. 

I will see you in a practice soon.