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There's not doubt about it. Most people's health and wellness journey involves a lot of MIND GAMES. Mind games about what they put in their mouth; mind games about when and how hard they exercise; mind games about the importance of being healthy versus not. There's no way around the mental over physical battle that happens with a healthy lifestyle. It's how you fight those battles that matters. Having the right tools and knowledge at your fingertips is what gives you the upper hand. And, with anything, the more you do it, the easier it gets. Let your positive, confident self give your insecure and self doubting self the MIDDLE FINGER! Removing barriers from your health and wellness path can help you push out those negative thoughts and self-doubt you'll find littered in the road. Here are FOUR tips to setting you up for success to hurdle over those roadblocks and continue on to achieving your goals! First line of defense when setting yourself up for success is to make sure you aren't fighting an uphill battle. If you think you have any underlying issues, illness, deficiencies, sensitivities, etc. get those taken care of ahead of time. If you don't know where to start with finding this information out, email me and I can help point you in the right direction. The second thing you need to focus on is making sure you're well hydrated ALL DAY. We are so busy during the day that it's easy to forget to drink enough water. We should be drinking A MINIMUM of half our body weight in water each day to ensure proper cell and organ function. If you aren't supporting your body by hydrating properly, body functions can't perform at their optimal ability. That means any detoxing, metabolizing, and muscle building are put on the back burner. This is something I still struggle with! I make sure to set timers on my phone for reminders. When I wake up in the morning, I chug about 12 oz. of water first thing. This is an EXCELLENT habit to form because it primes your body to start your day...and it gets everything moving, if you know what I mean. Then, about every 1-2 hours I chug another 12-14 oz. When I say chug, I mean chug. Imagine your college days and beer chugging competitions. THAT kind of chugging. So, at a minimum, I'm drinking around 72 oz. of water every day. In addition to my chugging competitions, I keep a Yeti tumbler full of water to sip on throughout the day. I really aim for 100 oz of water to make sure I'm really getting enough in. The third thing to incorporate in your healthy habits is MEAL PREPPING. Ugh, I know! Everyone hates meal prepping. But the truth is, meal prepping saves you time, money, and calories in the long run. Getting the majority of my cooking done in one sitting saves me from doing the same cooking each day. Instead, I can pull out my pre-portioned, prepared healthy food options and go! I don't have to chop, dice, measure, pour, or any other action required of my recipes. AND I know I'm fueling my body with feel good foods. Failing to meal prep can result in grabbing a convenience food (i.e. packaged and processed) or driving through a drive-thru (feel bad food and EXPENSIVE). So, when Sunday rolls around and you're not in the mood to meal prep, just go for easy to prep items and know it's the last time you'll have to think about those meals for the rest of the week. Your mind is freed up to focus on other areas of bettering your life. The last line of defense is to prime your mind. The mind is where all this negative talk is swirling and it can sense weakness from a mile away. Incorporating personal development into your day is a sure-fire way to stave off the voices that talk down to you. Check out My Favorite Things to see some of my favorite books for getting myself in the right mindset. When I don't have time to sit down and read, because really that's most times, I tune into a podcast or audio book that gets my positive vibes flowing. Some of my favorite podcasts for self development are This American Life, Radio Lab, EntreLeadership, Ted Radio Hour, or really any Ted Talk that piques my interests. So, make sure you carve out 15-20 minutes a day to focus on fueling your mind so your mind and body are on the same wavelength. What are some tricks you use to help you win at the mind games? I'd love to know. Comment, below!
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