Are you like the many people who know they need to take better care of themselves, but are not getting very far in actually doing it? Don’t beat yourself up too badly—it can be difficult overcoming all of our bad habits, self-sabotage and laziness. But, difficult does not mean impossible, and you have to take responsibility for your actions, or lack thereof. Things aren’t hopeless though, and you can become a healthier person, both physically and mentally. Here are just a few ways to accomplish this worthwhile goal.
Set Little Goals to Tap Into Ultimate Motivator of Progress
When we feel our efforts are bearing fruit, it motivates us to keep doing the things that are producing these great results. All too often, we jump right into these drastic changes that in theory could work, but are just too far a departure from our current way of being. We can’t sustain, we feel like a failure, and we stop bothering to even try. But, if you set some smaller goals that are a bit easier to reach, you will feel really good when you accomplish them, and you will want to keep making decisions that will lead you to feeling even better. You will push yourself farther and farther.
Focus on the Long-Term to Get Past Slips
Remember you are trying to develop a new way of being for the long-term; you are not looking to drop a few pounds before your 20-year reunion, or look a bit better in your bathing suit while you are on vacation. Don’t be so focused on the immediate moment; when we are, we get way too hard on ourselves when we slip up, and we think what’s the point? But, if you view this ‘error’ as just a temporary blip, you will be able to get back on the horse much faster. Tomorrow is a new day. If you miss a few days at the gym, vow to be more committed, don’t just stop going. Don’t feel you have to give up ‘good’ food forever. Eating a brownie once in a while won’t kill you, nor will indulging in a nice gooey dish of pasta.
Don’t Let Stress Control You
Stress is unavoidable; but, we have a great deal of control over how we let it affect us, and most of us are doing a pretty poor job. We let it overwhelm us, and when it overwhelms us, it is really hard to make the decisions that support our well-being. We just don’t care as much about being healthy. We become overly focused on making the ‘bad’ feelings go away as quickly as possible, and we do things like eat emotionally, or sit around watching TV for hours on end to numb our minds. You need to create a state of mind conducive to healthy living, and you can’t achieve this state of mind when you are letting stress consume you. Kelli Cooper is a freelance writer who loves blogging about health; if you are looking for massage therapy Athens, GA, she highly recommends Massage Envy for their quality and affordable treatments.