LIFESTYLE is a concept from psychology that has three main strands: individual, community, and context. Lifestyle is the attitudes, behaviors, and individual preferences of an individual, family, or group. The word was first introduced by Austrian psychiatrist Alfred Adler in his famous 1929 book, The Case of Miss R. With the implied meaning of “the basic nature of a person as determined early in life”, the idea of LIFESTYLE got its name. It is a way to look at human behavior in light of the particular environment it finds itself in.
Most psychologists agree that LIFESTYLE is important for determining healthy lifestyles. It is a reflection of a person’s values, expectations, beliefs, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. Lifestyles change with circumstances and life experiences. Changing one’s Lifestyle can be challenging for people who are used to their present lifestyles. For these individuals, a new love for the lifestyle might be just what they need to achieve their goals.
In the book, The Case of Miss R, Adler discusses seven different aspects of LIFESTYLE. These are Personal Lifestyle, Objective Lifestyle, Subjective Lifestyle, Contextual Lifestyle, Interventions, and Examples. A personal lifestyle is Adler’s way of defining the way a person behaves, thinks, and feels. A subjective lifestyle is one’s behavior and attitude toward situations and other people. Objective lifestyle is all about what you do to create your environment-from your house to your work to your leisure activities.
In the following paragraphs, you will learn about some of the lifestyle changes associated with LIFESTYLE. If you are looking for a healthy lifestyle, one change that you will want to make in addition to any of the lifestyle changes mentioned in this article is to start an exercise routine. Exercise strengthens muscles, which prevents joint pain and stiffness, and gives your body a new strength and flexibility.
Another thing that you may want to do is to look at your mass media products, such as advertisements, magazines, and newspapers and find ways to incorporate LIFESTYLE into them. For example, if your lifestyle changes are not involving a fitness routine, but include eating healthy, starting an exercise routine, and participating in positive social activities, add a LIFESTYLE element to your life-style. If you like drinking coffee, then look for ways to replace it with decaffeinated, or substitute it for herbal tea, which is known to be healthier and good for you. Even if you like alcohol, you can add a LIFESTYLE element to your life-style by finding something else to drink, or choosing to drink water instead of alcohol.
Finally, another aspect of LIFESTYLE that you should look at is the way that you dress. While most of us live our lives according to what we see in the mass culture, especially in the media, we need to adopt a different way of dressing in order to fit in with our LIFESTYLE. If you find yourself wearing clothes that are old-fashioned and not in fashion, then change your style. Whether it is your hair, your clothing, your shoes, your handbag, or anything else, change it in order to fit in with the lifestyle that you have chosen, as well as the way that other people will see you. This way, you will feel more confident about yourself, and your LIFESTYLE will be more important to you.
