Donnerstag, 12. Februar 2015

THRIVE THURSDAY: HOW TO MOVE ON AFTER LOSING MOTIVATION



In my previous Thrive Thursday posts I talked a lot about the importance of motivation in order to implement behavioural change, which is crucial to make healthy decisions and stay on track, not only when it comes to eating healthy, but also regarding being in the right place to be overall more productive and a better version of yourself, which stands in correlation to making better decisions for your health and acting upon them.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I fall into this frame of mind where I just cannot be 'bothered' about anything. It develops into an apathy towards your health goals and you lack overall motivation. The worst part is that you simply do not care if you are eating healthy or exercise, and even following a productive and focused lifestyle illustrates a burden that you simply feel you can't achieve at this moment.

These phases are normal for everyone, and it also effects people who are normally very discipled and passionate about living healthily. 
I wanted to address this issue in today's post because once you get into that state of mind, it may seem impossible to change pack and it is a huge trigger for feeling bad about yourself and thus relapsing into old unhealthy patterns altogether.

First of all, the most important thing that help me is simply forgiving myself for being unproductive and not pursuing the healthy lifestyle I actually do want for myself. You have to tell yourself that it is okay to take a little break once in a while, and it can even help you to get back into your full flow of feeling and staying even more motivated in the future.

You have to forgive yourself and move on. There is no use in dwelling on past mistakes because it keeps you from putting this energy in better behaviour in the present. It may also be helpful to put things into perspective by telling yourself that being unhealthy and unproductive for three days out of thirty is not much at all.
However, you must also ask yourself if this was maybe a subconscious mechanism to punish yourself, because after reflecting about this unhealthy relapse, you probably find yourself thinking that you didn't enjoy it and maybe it was simply a way of escaping or running away from a problem.

To summarise it, I give you some thought patterns that help to get out of this unhealthy state of mind and learn for the future:

- " I cannot change my past behaviour, so I accept it, I forgive myself and move on."
-  "Being unhealthy or unproductive for 10% of the time is not that bad really and doesn't make me a lazy person."
- "I will not punish myself like this in the future and I will work on finding healthier and better ways to release negative energy and bad thoughts'"

Additionally, it is important to build up a repertoire of coping mechanisms, so that you will refrain from getting into this unhealthy state of mind in the future. I will focus on the main points that I think are most effective from preventing

1. ORGANIZATION

There is a saying that goes "fail to prepare and prepare to fail" and that applies to all aspects of life- be it a healthy diet plan or a daily agenda of things to do.
I find that if I plan in advance, I am so much more likely to stick with a plan. So to do lists and shopping lists should become your best friends. It is key here to do these ideally a day in advance, especially if you have many things to do the next day that require a lot of coordination. If you have everything planned out, you are more determined to fulfil your goals. It makes a big difference to actually write it down, believe me! So just don't resort to planning it out in your head.
There is also nothing like the satisfying feeling of crossing off points from lists, because it gives you a feeling of accomplishment

2. THE RIGHT FRAME OF MIND

The best laid plans and intention can be thrown overboard by really small things that don't go according to your idea, and quickly you find yourself in a very bad place that leaves you incapable to get anything done and all your great resolutions are thrown out of the window.
To prevent this, it is important to create a certain fail-proof routine that conveys you familiarity and security, so you are less likely to even think about doing anything different from what you planned out. 
For example, small things like starting my day with 30 minutes of exercise like running or yoga or going for a coffee at 10 am every morning are these important things for me. Believe it or not, if I don't include these little, seemingly petty things into my day, I am much more likely to get out of control or carried away.
So what I basically mean are certain habits or rituals that are performed in a certain sequence at certain times. The more you practice this routine, the more it becomes automatic and internalized. This means it gets easier and easier over time.

3. BALANCE

Breaking out of your healthy lifestyle completely might also be a warning sign or a subconscious rebellion showing that you take things too strictly or you are being too extreme and idealistic about it. You have to accept, first of all, that nobody is perfect. A lot of people tend to fall into black and white thinking, so that once they are in their "healthy frame of mind" , they block out and reject everything that they believe is "bad" for them, and they become obsessed. 
Try to incooperate "unhealthy things" into your everyday life in moderation so that you don't feel that you have to restrict anything.
Accept that it is completely fine and even to some extent healthy to not have a perfectly healthy diet or 100% productive day. 


Do you feel that this applies to you? Do you feel these factors contribute to leading a healthy and productive life? If not, what are your tips to maintain this?


4 Kommentare:

  1. nice post
    Great Post. Lovely Blog. I am really loving your blog.
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    1. Thank you, I really appreciate it ! :)
      Will check out your post now.

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  2. I am fascinated by your blog, think of that share! In our country there is a saying - "Whatever a person does to himself, no one can do it." This applies to all aspects of life! I think you have to live in harmony, follow your dreams, to do good, to love, to prepare healthy food for yourself, take care of your health alone! Nobody would do it better than himself ...
    I try to prepare delicious and zdravoslonta food for my family and at the same time is varied and beautiful.
    We will follow your blog and I would be very glad if you also follow me.

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    1. Very true words and thank you , I am really happy if I can inspire people with my contents :)
      Will definitely check out your blog!

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