Thank you all so much for joining me each week as we work through our Staying Healthy Through The Holidays Series!
If you haven’t read the previous weeks yet stop what you’re doing right now and go back to do read them. The first week we talked about nutrition and how to stay on track whether you’re hosting or a guest. The following week we talked about some of the false beliefs we hold related to exercise and why we don’t stay on track or execute. There were also some suggestions for exercise you maybe haven’t heard of before or considered exercise. Both weeks include a free download you can grab from the Free Resource Library.
This week is focused on mindset. Honestly, mindset is the key to success. You can have the best diet and exercise program in the world but if you don’t understand your mind you’ll fail. Period. I know it sounds harsh, but seriously. Think of all the times you’ve have the BEST plan and were SO motivated, only to fast forward 6 months and be right back where you started. We often get in our own way and once we realize this we can start taking action steps towards the life we desire.
Quick plug – if you have not joined my holiday challenge already, please please please click here and join right now! We are about three weeks in, and there’s still plenty of time for you to make an impact. Even if you don’t read this until December 31 I want you to join! The second you join you get a free workbook download and have access to all of the content in the Facebook group. Don’t have time now but want to start taking action in 2020? Sign up now so you have the content and access – it’s that easy And if you get stuck between now and then, you’ll have an amazing group of ladies to help you out.
Ok, now back to business. Let’s get started on mindset.
The mind is so powerful and this category is soooo broad. Today I’m just going to touch on some basics. Mind work includes mindfulness, meditations, mindset, gratitude, journaling, self-reflection, identifying triggers, acknowledging beliefs, goal setting and daily routines. I’m sure there are even more but this seems sufficient to introduce the concept.
We do not live in a culture that is not overly supportive of a healthy lifestyle at face value. We are told it is important and highly valued but when you actually go out into the world, healthful choices are not at the forefront. You often have to be intentional and unconventional to follow the lifestyle you desire. This can be extremely challenging and exhausting. This is why many people “fall off the bandwagon” and don’t make progress towards the healthy lifestyle they desire to live. This week we’re going to talk about a way to tap into your mindset around this truth. Next week’s talk on crafting your environment will be an excellent complement to this, talking about how to make the desired choice the easy choice.
We can’t control everything that happens, but we can change the way we experience those things.
Headspace
Mastering your mind takes you to a whole new level. It is the reason why some fail and some succeed. I believe if you master your mind you can literally master anything in your life. This week are going to start to get to know our mind better so we can begin to set goals that are in alignment with our desired outcome. To do this, we are going to dive into morning routines.
Whether you are a 5am riser or a 9am riser, you need to have a morning routine before you start your day. Rolling out of bed, rushing through the required tasks of the day before settling in at work or errands is not setting yourself up for success. We can all find 15 minutes to ourselves before starting the day. I get it – we’re all busy. I’m a mom of 3 kids ages 1.5-5yr, work 60 hours a week (sometimes 80), exercise most days a week and commute up to 12 hours some weeks. I still find 15 minutes for myself each day. These 15 minutes are crucial in setting the tone for your day.
Preparation
You’ll want to do a small amount of prep work before starting your routine to set yourself up for success.
1. Location: Find a place where you’ll carry out your routine. It will take 15 minutes a day and these 15 minutes need to be you, alone, without interruptions. Find a place that has a positive feel. Whether this is a comfy chair or warm office, designate a place where you can relax and be with your thoughts. Consider a hot tea or coffee to add more warmth to the time. Invest in a journal that you think will make you want to write.
2. Decide on a focus: We all have a laundry list of things we want to do. What would you like to work on? There are many areas you can focus on, but I recommend choosing one of the following: Gratitude, self-esteem, goal setting, or mindfulness
3. Self-reflection: before starting I want you to answer these questions:
– what is your mantra you desire to live by and say to yourself when life gets tough?
– how do you want to feel as you go about your day?
– name 3 words you wish the world would use to describe you
– find 1-3 positive quotes you can use to build yourself up if you’re having a hard time
Getting Started
There are many ways to do a morning routine, so take this with a grain of salt. Find what works well for you and go from there. Every morning you will follow the same routine. Here’s an example:
- First 5 minutes to sit quietly with yourself. Try to quiet your mind. When a thought does come up, acknowledge it and place it in a virtual container. Read this post for more about this concept. You could also do a guided meditation during this time (I used Meditation Studio and love it!)
- The next 5 minutes are focused on the day ahead. Reflect on a quote or how you desire to feel today. Journal for 5 minutes about what comes to mind.
- The final 5 minutes are all about the area of focus you chose. Below are examples and techniques related to goal setting, gratitude, self-esteem and mindfulness.
Morning Routine Focuses
Goal Setting: This is an easy entry into mindset work. We all know we need to set goals to reach our dreams. During this 5 minutes you will focus on action steps to make those goals a reality.
You’ll need to do a little pre-work before starting this one. You will first think about 1 overarching goal for the next 3 months. You will then break it down into 3 sequential goal steps that it will take to get there. This will be followed by 1-3 action items you need to do daily to make it that month’s goal item. Here’s how this looks:
- 3 month goal: Eat intuitively so I don’t need to count calories or macros again
- Monthly goals:
- Month 1: Be able to identify hunger and fullness accurately
- Month 2: Understand what cravings mean
- Month 3:Follow hunger and satiety cues and be able to stop myself before caving into a craving.
Once that’s done you can move onto the next step. At the start of each week think of what you need to work on to get close to your monthly goal. During your 5 minutes each day, plan for how you will make this happen. Reflect on what went well and what didn’t go well in the previous weeks. Stay focused on your short term goal so you are not overwhelmed or distracted. If it is helpful, you can even make weekly goals as part of each monthly goal to stay even more focused.
Gratitude: use prompts to reflect on all you are grateful for. Check out this post to read more about gratitude. You can use my cultivating gratitude workbook for prompts. This can be downloaded here.
Self-Esteem: this is a broad category. Choose one area of focus. Write 3 affirmations around this area. Write them as if they are truth. Here are some examples:
- Instead of “I will love my body” you write “I love my body”
- Instead of “I will eat well” you write “I nourish my body in a way that shows the love and respect I have for it”
- Instead of “I will gain confidence to speak to a group” you write “I am an articulate, sought after speaker”
Mindfulness: this is also a very broad category. You can read more about mindfulness with this recent post and this post. There are many ways to practice this but I would recommend starting with your senses. In the moment, reflect for 1 minute on each sense – see, smell, touch, hear, taste. You can download a free guide with mindfulness prompts in the Free Resource Library. Look for the “Mastering your Mind” download.
Set aside 30 minutes once a month to reflect on how your routine is going. Are you happy with the progress you are making? Are you happy with the area you are focused on? Do you need to change or tweak anything with the environment, timing or flow?
After 3 months, I invite you to go back and read some of your journal entries from the start. See how far you’ve come – I promise you’ll be amazed at the progress you can make with just 15 minutes a day.
Your mind is your instrument. Learn to be its master, not its slave.
Remez Sasson
That’s all for this week. Be sure to stop back next week and learn how to start crafting your environment so the desired choice is the easy choice!
Want more? Dr. Maureen is a holistic psychiatrist hosting an amazing workshop this week on mindfulness. It’s not too late to join! Head over here to read more about it and sign up!
Want even more? Check out my Free Resource Library for a freebie to get you started with your morning routine!
Nutrition.Health.Life. 