Re-energizing your Healthy Routine with these simple tips!
It's May. Not sure about you but these last few months have gone by very, very quickly. Many folks started out 2017 with their resolutions strong and then, well, time passed. Maybe the enthusiasm for waking up early to exercise waned or you're feeling uninspired and bored with your meal planning. Trust me, this is normal but knowing you have goals related to your health, fitness and well-being means you shouldn't wait until next January 1st to get back on track. Like they say, there's truly no time like the present!
Here are a few really simple concepts to reroute yourself back to those healthy habits:
1. Take a few moments to remind yourself why you made those goals-As we progress past the initial excitement of a new goal such as a workout or eating plan, we can often forget the real reason we set that goal in the first place (and then all we have is a routine that we get bored with). Write down (yes, write down) how you want to feel and how your daily attention to that feeling will help you reach your goal over time. If you want more energy, remind yourself that exercising provides energy as does avoiding sugary foods. If you want to reduce weight, remind yourself how confident you will feel when your clothes fit you properly instead of tugging and pulling.
2. Speaking of boredom, mix that sh*t up-Unless you have the attention span of the Buddha himself, you will probably get tired of the same old workout and meal plan. So build in some routine-busters. Maybe you take a fun and different class once a week or exercise outside a few times a month (most cities have nearby hiking trails, lakes or parks that you can use). Try experimenting with a new recipe at least 1-2 times/month and work those into your meal planning if you dig them or invite a friend to meal prep (or do yoga lakeside) with you monthly so you can cook together and catch up. It's human to get bored but it's not an excuse to drop your ultimate goal!
3. Make one small change to jumpstart the bigger changes-Often times, in order to change a routine, it only takes the slightest bit of effort to change course. Imagine a car that has the steering wheel turned just the slightest bit to the left of center. Eventually, the car will go left. Same thing with habits-if you have fallen off your nourishing routines and feel overwhelmed at "scrapping everything and starting over", don't do that. Just make one little change. Maybe that means meditating for five minutes first thing in the morning instead of checking email. Or perhaps just one night, instead of ordering takeout, you make a nutritious meal from scratch. Little behavioral changes add up to big results over time.
4. Seek the guidance and accountability of a professional-Yep, this is what I do err day with my clients. The vast majority of my clients actually know what to do but have hit a plateau or for some reason just aren't doing what they know will lead them to their ultimate health/life goals. We work through barriers and create real time action steps to move through those obstacles that will naturally come up from time to time. If you are feeling stuck, you should strongly consider working with a health coach (of course I'd love to chat with you but you can reach out to me or anyone else who has a good reputation in this space) because the rate of success reaching one's goals goes up exponentially when there is external support.
Today is the day to get unstuck. Choose to skip the Starbucks sugar-bomb-acchino and instead walk around your office building for your afternoon break. Jot down a few notes about why these goals matter to you. Call a friend to see if she'd like to go for a walk tomorrow morning before you work. Check out what working with a coach would do for your progress. All of these steps I just listed will take less than 10 minutes total. Unstick yourself and move forward!