Happy New Year!
Let’s be real, getting started with any diet and lifestyle habit is hard. It takes a huge amount of conscious effort to ingrain long-term behaviours so, just in case you don’t get to read on, a valuable take away is to make any lifestyle change/s ridiculously easy to repeat – because it’s repetition over time that counts!
As James Clear says, ‘your habits are often a byproduct of convenience’. Humans are wired to seek the path of least resistance, which means the most convenient option is often the one that wins. Make good choices more convenient and bad choices less so. Behaviour will then improve naturally.
Before you jump knee deep into your health and fitness regime, take a moment to review which health and lifestyle habits worked for you in 2024, and which didn’t. It can be empowering to pick apart why certain habits stuck and why others didn’t. Were you shooting too high and being unrealistic? Or perhaps they weren’t rewarding enough? Reviewing your habits may start to unlock valuable information that you can take forward into 2025.
Get your head straight for long term change and work on your identity
As an holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach and Personal Trainer in Sevenoaks, I’ve learnt over time that short-term changes only result in short-term outcomes. Whether it’s attempting ‘Dry January’, a 6-week ‘transformation programme’ or training for a 5K, once you’ve hit your goal, you’re likely to revert back to old habits. This can you leave you feeling deflated, demotivated and even enter into the land of self sabotage! For me, living life constantly chasing a carrot is not the way to live. It takes time to develop new behaviours, so you just have to be patient.
A longer term, more sustainable approach to change, starts by being clear on the type of person you want to become – how do you see yourself, and how would you like others to see you? The language you use is crucial, it galvanises your identity, supercharges your intention and magnetises the habits you need to create. Examples of self talk could be, “I am a healthy person”, “I don’t eat junk food”, “I’m a positive person”, “I’m organised”, “I’m a runner”, “I don’t drink”.
The New Year is not a time to react, but a time to build solid foundations for the Spring
We’re bombarded with pills, thrills and gadgets that will fast forward your well-being – and when you’re wearing a few more pounds it’s easy to react to quick fixes. However, spending a fortune on supplements and health hacks, without having the health fundamentals in check (i.e. positive mindset, optimal breathing, movement, hydration, eating quality food and proper sleep), is like patching a leaking boat with gold cladding!
Whatever your health and wellness goals, whether it’s to lower your blood pressure, lose weight or recover from Cancer, you need to be building solid foundations for your health. Have you ever wondered why sky scrapers take so long to get off ground level? It’s because the concrete and steel reinforcement is fundamental to the integrity of the building; it needs to withstand earthquakes and high winds.
Foundational health principles give your health a solid platform to build upon. When your foundations are in place, you’re balancing your primary hormones (Insulin, Cortisol and Adrenaline), which means you can physiologically handle daily stressors, your immune system is effective, and you now have the platform to optimise your health and explore your full potential.
Focus on your needs; balancing your energy is the objective
Being healthy and vital comes down to being able to balance your energy. Think of yourself as a biochemical battery; the amount your battery is charged being your ‘life force energy’. You gain life force energy by resting, sleeping, good nutrition, hydration, breathing optimally and having a positive mindset. On the flip side, your life-force energy is zapped through strenuous movement/exercise, mental/emotional stressors, eating poor quality food and poor sleep quality.
In Eastern philosophies such as Qigong, the objective is to balance Yin (the feminine energy) with Yang (masculine energy). Too much or not enough of each one leads to health issues.
An effective approach to balancing energy is to ask yourself, “what do I need today”? When your metaphorical battery is running into the red, it’s time to listen and plug yourself in, opting for nourishing nutrition, sleep and relaxation. Ignoring the signs and symptoms can lead to a compromised immune system, poor mood, and inability to recover. When your battery is in the green, you have a license to move, be creative and to express yourself.
Finally, once you’ve highlighted your health and fitness needs, use a simple habit tracker to keep you conscious – keep it visible and watch your healthy habits build!
If you would like help creating and developing healthy habits, using a holistic approach specific to your needs, then Please get in touch for a free initial chat.
