Are you finding it hard to pick yourself up (again) after this shit show of the past two years?
We all know it’s more important than ever to get healthy, but after our tolerance, resilience & coping mechanisms have been tested to the max it’s difficult to know how or where to begin.
Add in the confusion and conflicting information, loads of failed attempts at shitty diets and feeling overwhelmed at how far you have to go and it’s a feels like a one way ticket to health burnout.
So what can we do?
Here are my top tips for getting started:
1. Examine your motivation
Why are you doing this?
Are the actions you need to take in line with the identity, values and beliefs of the person you want to become?
What does this person prioritise – would they Netflix & pizza over going for a decent walk?
Or are you trying to get healthier because your doctor says so? Or because your Mum thinks you need to lose a few pounds?
Guess which one of those motivations is gonna keep you going when things get shitty.
2. Reframe things
Do you see taking some exercise as a chore? Or cooking yourself a nice meal as a pain in the ass?
Going to bed early as ‘boring’?
What would happen if you saw being able to get outside and move your body as a gift? Or being grateful for having the ingredients to cook banging food?
3. Don’t rely on motivation
Motivation comes from ACTION. So don’t lie around waiting for it to visit & gee your arse into action.
Use INTENTION.
Instead of:
“I’ll go for a walk when I get motivated”
try
“I intend to go for a walk in the morning”
Then get up & JFDI…….don’t negotiate with yourself. No motivation needed.
4. Start small
And I mean really fucking small.
Set yourself a daily action so small that you’d be embarrassed to admit you couldn’t do it.
For example: I’ll drink one glass of water with every meal.
The water is accessible, free, and in your house.
Zero barriers.
You probably eat 3 meals per day (more or less), so you’re tying the new habit to something you already do.
Again zero barriers.
Think about the easiest, smallest thing you can do. And do it.
The confidence you get from following through on your actions (as well as the extra energy & focus you’ll get from being well hydrated) will give you the capacity to do more.
5. Rehearse failing
Still don’t believe you can start? Pick an action, and rehearse failing it so you can choose alternative actions.
Using the example above, what if you go to a mates house & they want you to drink alcohol instead of water.
What will you do?
What will you say to your friend? How might the conversation go? What can you say to stay on track?
Once you have a plan for your ‘failures’ it doesn’t seem so daunting to start.
Does that help?
Drop a comment below & let me know.
And if you’re interested in knowing more about how to establish habits you need my Dojo – message me to find out more.
