The Kokoda Track and other adventures provides you the opportunity to break bad habits

Why doing the Kokoda Track or other physical challenge is important

One of the most interesting feedback we get is from clients habitually telling us that participating in the Kokoda Track in its pure and isolated environment allowed them the opportunity to break habits.

The reason for this and another aspect of how doing the Kokoda track under the guidance of highly skilled facilitators is that the track program disrupts behavior and makes way for new behavior.  We all know how hard it is to break habits, all we have do is look at the annual failure of new year’s resolutions..

But one of the most interesting habits we see broken early on the Track is that we are governed by watches in regards to eating. We habitually chose to allow a watch tell us when we are hungry ie it is 12 o clock.. time for lunch!. However the further the trek goes the more this habit becomes obsolete and participants break that habit and chose to eat when they are hungry. Our habits that are normally triggered by cues are challenged, for example even though it maybe 730pm i am tired i will now sleep instead of.. i will wait until 11pm to go asleep.

In our secure environments it is very hard to break those habits, because habits are easy, automatic and rewarding.  This is all very interesting especially when dealing with teenagers, the facilitator/educator needs to be able to understand the triggers that precede certain behaviors and have the ability along with the client to define the behavior that they want to change. The key than becomes the consequences or outcomes that follow that behavior.

The Kokoda Track and its isolation offer the opportunity to understand and breakdown environments and cues that triggers habitual behavior. For example a teenager mixing with the wrong group of trouble makers, by doing the track it allows them the opportunity to think about those cues ( ie every time i’m with them i get in trouble).  As a result of this “classroom” they then have the ability and opportunity to replace those taught and habit forming patterns. When faced with the passionate presentation of the history that has occurred on the Kokoda Track and reinforced with the simplistic lifestyle and supportive manner of the people that live there, it soon puts life in perspective. Its not unusual to see trekkers who suffer a hectic lifestyle aided by medication, to assess where they are in life and make strategic decisions that have resulted in positive life and health changes upon return. It truly is more than just a walk!!!