At this prologue stage of the new year, many who committed to a new chapter of change after a debaucherous and exorbitant festive season, have reached the realisation that real positive lifestyle change can be more arduous than we gave it credit for.
We find great comfort in routine, and one of our fundamental human instincts is to gravitate towards things that offer us solace, so breaking habitual customs are often a test of will, and unfortunately don’t always yield success.
Of course setting goals for the coming year is incredibly important, but before we put such pressures on our shoulders it is important to look much deeper at ourselves.
Firstly, what is driving this motivation for change? This is massively important, as defining a powerful intrinsic motive will often be the scaffolding that holds up your walls when you feel like crumbling. If you want to get fit, or even lose weight, ask yourself why? Try to find an emotional beacon that guides you when the lights go out.
A friend of mine recently lost his father through premature heart disease. He himself became a father just two years previously. He understands the hereditary nature of heart disease and has now made sweeping shifts to his lifestyle, from diet and exercise to his relationship with alcohol. The motive behind these changes is the fact that he doesn’t want to leave his child without a father and these granite like motivations bolster his will power.
There are others out there who are still struggling with their mental well being, especially at this time of year, and are currently in no position to try and set all these goals even though they are surrounded by a sea of colleagues, friends and family, drowning in Oprah Winfrey quotes on social media, whilst trying to implement radical changes in their lives. I have spent many a January in the same place.
Before you start making grand plans, take a step back and some time to make realistic and achievable baby steps in this marathon of a year. Try implementing small modifications to your life. Perhaps start to engage with mindfulness. Don’t attempt to become Gandhi overnight but set out a simple programme for yourself. When I started, I began with just three minutes of mindfulness a day and after two weeks I built it to five minutes, and over the course of about six months I began meditating for up to thirty minutes a day. I used the app ‘headspace’ to facilitate this and it was hugely beneficial.
Also make some small changes to your diet. Drink more water, limit caffeine, look at foods that promote calmness. I found Dale Pinnock’s book “the medicinal chef” a great resource for recipes that promote calmness and stable moods.
If you decide exercise is something you want to engage with, don’t set out to becoming an Olympian overnight. Start becoming aware of how it makes you feel. Go for a short brisk walk, two or three times a week and do this for a month and perhaps start some light jogging or even join me for the A Lust for Life walk/run this March in Phoenix Park.
This self awareness is critical to allow yourself to seek an ability to cope, and in time recover. Don’t just implement actions and behaviours, analyse how they make you feel. So while the entire country is on an admiral crusade of self transformation, remember that before you can be better you must be well.
First published in the Irish Independent Health & Living magazine on January 18th, 2016
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