Starting something new can be intimidating, particularly when there are no instructions to lead you in the right direction. And with so much information out there on how to get healthy, it can be a little overwhelming…how the hell are you supposed to know which diet trend will help you fit into your old jeans, or which fitness regime is going to tighten up those wobbly arms?
Well let me just burst the bubble right now…there is no secret diet or 8 week plan that is going to fix all your problems in one go. Sorry! Creating health and wellbeing is a process, and it is going to look very different for every single person. So right now, I want you to let go of all your preconceived ideas of what you think healthy looks like, and we are going to start from scratch. No more comparisons to your superfit neighbour who prances around in yoga pants and a sports bra. No more self-judgement and restrictions because you binged on a whole bag of chips last night. No more punishing yourself with 2 hour sprint sessions because you didn’t get up for the gym yesterday.
Instead, we are going to build a positive and holistic view of health and wellbeing. One that will lay the foundations for a sustainable lifestyle, allowing you to be the healthiest, happiest and most vibrant version of yourself. So are you ready?
First and foremost, before you even start thinking about meal plans or exercise gear, I want to ask you to consider your mental health. This is the MOST important step in creating a healthy lifestyle. Because if you don’t begin in a positive headspace, you will end up in a cycle of self-sabotage (please trust me on this, I know from personal experience…and it is not pretty). So to ensure you are moving forward on the right track, you need to first work through a few things:
- Understand how you currently perceive your own self…what words do you use to describe your body, your appearance, your personality, your health? Be honest with yourself.
- Become clear on how you would like to perceive yourself, both internally and externally. Write these words down.
- Go through the following words, and become aware of the emotions and thoughts that come up as you do:
Food
Diet
Treats
Exercise
Fitness
Nutrition
These exercises might make you uncomfortable…there may be anxiety, guilt, negative self-image, and all kinds of negative thought processes built up from past experiences. But this is actually where you need to be! Because in order to create a positive, healthy mindset, you first need to confront what is holding you back. You need to create an awareness of what is going on in your head, so that you may slowly take control.
Once you’ve done that, you can start recreating your self-image through positive affirmations. Take the words you wrote down earlier, the ones that describe the version of yourself that you want to be. Repeat them to yourself, as if you already were that person. Tell yourself how strong you are. Tell yourself how capable you are. Tell yourself that your potential has no bounds. Repeat it until you believe it. Because what you believe is going to show up in who you become.
It’s important to remember that creating a positive mindset won’t happen overnight. This is a process, and you will need to keep checking in, keep adjusting, keep reinforcing the positive self-image. Some days it’ll be easy, and other days you might fall straight back into old habits. But the most important thing is to keep going.
You deserve to believe in yourself. You deserve to feel strong, empowered and limitless.
Because once you do, you will be unstoppable.