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Out of Site, Out of Mind


Interesting Fact:  Four percent of the people in Denmark are organ donors.  In neighboring Sweden, the organ donor rate is 85%.  A major difference was in the organ donor form that was sent to residents.  The form sent out in Denmark asked for donors to opt in, while in Sweden, they needed to opt out.  This is a decision that should be made with a good amount of consideration, yet such a simple thing as opting in or out made a difference between 4% and 85%.

 

This and many other statistics such as the number of fast-food restaurants within 5 miles of your home or the number of billboards with food and how much they impact health show just how important our environment is in the decisions we make.

 

This is great news because it means that we can control our environment. We can set ourselves up for success by removing barriers for desired outcomes and setting up barriers for undesired outcomes. 

 

Some ideas include:

·         One of the easy ways to set up barriers is by removing items from your sight and site (home). 

·         Remove food you don’t want to eat from the counter or cupboards you frequently use. 

·         If you want to watch less television, put the remote in a place where you cannot see it. 

·         If you want to get in the habit of flossing, put the floss on the bathroom counter for a few weeks until you get into the habit.

 

How is your current environment affecting your decisions and how can you improve it?

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