In discussing how we are going to help people take advantage of a more plant-based lifestyle, the question of change management came up. Specifically, why do we resist change even when it might be positive?

As it turns out there are some basic reasons why people resist change, and many of them don’t have anything to do with the change itself. According to psychology 101 there is a process behind accepting change that is eerily similar to the way we process grief.

The stages of accepting change are:

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Confusion
  • Depression
  • Crisis
  • Acceptance
  • New confidence

The stages of grief are:

  • Shock
  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Testing
  • Acceptance

When it comes to change, organizations often have difficulty getting buy-in from employees and customers alike. Fortunately many studies have been conducted to figure out why.

In an article by change management specialist Torben Rick, he identifies 12 reasons why people resist change. A similar article by Harvard Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter identifies 10 reasons, while psychology today speaks about brain wiring and habits. Clearly change management is a complex subject, and when trying to figure out why people resist changing to a more plant-based diet these articles are invaluable. In order to simplify and make sense of it all, I made a mental venn diagram. After doing that, 16 general ideas around change became the 6 that I think apply to the resistance to plant-based eating. have a read to see if any of these statements ring true with you?

1. Lack of communication. People don’t understand the need or the process for change

If communication is poor and information lacking and people do not understand the need for change they will resist it, especially if they believe the current way of doing things works, and has always done so!

Communication is so important when it comes to change. If current events have taught us anything it’s that there is plenty of misinformation floating around. If we really are interested in change then it is important to inform ourselves. Only if we search out the answers and the truth about any given subject can we make informed decisions and meaningful change. So don’t rely on others to feed you hand-picked facts, take the time to do your research and become master of your own destiny.

2. People fear the unknown, don’t like uncertainty and worry about their ability to change

One of the most common reasons for resistance is fear of the unknown. People typically only change when they think that the risk of not changing is greater than changing. They also worry that they are not up to the task and might not be able to learn new ways of doing things.

The fear of the unknown is real. With any big change there are usually many questions but few answers at first. There are also deep routed psychological reasons why most of us fear change and the unknown. We have to try and look past our initial tendency to retract from change. Getting informed and learning new skills empowers us to move forward.

3. People are connected to the old way. Our basal ganglia (lizard brain) and our body’s inertia (homeostasis) is hard wired to habit

If you ask people to do things in a new way you will be up against the brain’s hard wiring. All those emotional connections and years of habits are hard to break.

As described by Scott Jeffery in an article in psychology today; Our body’s inertia can actively resists a new routine. Our brains detect physiological changes in heart rate, metabolism, and respiration. These physiological changes are seen as a disruption of the body’s homeostasis. In an effort to maintain homeostasis, the body’s complex inertia resists these changes, even if they are positive changes.

It takes between 18 and 357 days to break a habit or create a new one. If you are committed to making a change then be patient, be persistent and be consistent. Working at personal growth is a worthwhile endevour so start with a manageable and sustainable goal and work towards it. The rest will come naturally.

4. People believe the change is a temporary fad not worth investing in

If people believe that the change is a temporary fad and not a long term, sustainable goal they are likely to resist.

We are bombarded with information. There is always the next great diet. It’s imperative that we question this kind of information. Doctors and scientists all over the world claim that a more plant-based diet is helpful in preventing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and would help slow down the effects of climate change. I urge you to educate yourself on these subjects so that you can move forward with an informed opinion.

5. People resent the change and don’t want to lose face

If someone has doubled down on their dislike of an idea they are not likely to change.

In some people resistance to change comes out in the form of a strong push-back. This is a normal reaction and typically manifests itself in bold and often negative statements and claims. I suspect we have all found ourselves doubling down on a subject that we have little or no real knowledge. It takes a big person to go back on that and admit they might have been mistaken. Most people will respect you more if you’re able to change when faced with the facts.

6. People don’t see the reward as being worth the effort to change

If people feel they will be worse off in the end ,they are unlikely to give change their full support. Similarly, when the benefits and rewards for making a change are not seen as adequate they will resist.

People are really good at recognizing patterns and threats in the moment, but we seem to have difficulty in dealing with more abstract possibilities. Many of us aren’t likely to accept statistics that don’t support our views. Here are a few patterns and possibilities to help you see that indeed the rewards are worth any perceived sacrifices.

  • 8.5% of Canadian adults have diagnosed heart disease. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation says that “Vegetarian diets may lead to lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol levels, healthier weight and less incidence of Type 2 Diabetes, all of which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.”
  • 90% of the diabetes cases in Canada are type 2. A Harvard University study says that a healthy whole-foods, plant-based diet can lower the risk of type 2 diabetes by 34%.
  • The world famous Mayo clinic states that eating more fruit and vegetables may help prevent 1/3 of cancer cases.
  • As much as 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are related to animal agriculture.

If you’re interested in eating more plant-based foods but feel an unexplainable resistance, we hope that this list of insights might shed some light on your reluctance to change and offer some suggestions on overcoming them and moving forward in a positive way.

Sources

Why Do We Resist Change to a Plant-Based Diet?
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