Adopting a healthy lifestyle is a valuable goal when you want to improve your well-being and achieve optimal health. However, you can often run into obstacles that prevent you from sticking with it or distract you from the journey. Below, find the 10 most common spoilers, so you can learn how to identify them and how to overcome them.
Lack of planification:
Improvisation is the number one saboteur. Lack of a clear strategy can lead you to make unhealthy choices in the moment, such as opting for processed foods or avoiding exercise.
The solution: take time to plan your menu for the week, make a grocery shopping list, schedule your exercise on your calendar and your daily health-related activities. This will help you make more conscious decisions and stop improvising your health.
Rooted habits:
If you've been struggling to make changes in your life but haven't changed the way you do things, it's time to start thinking and doing things differently. Certainly habits and beliefs already acquired are hard to break but if you have a clear purpose, a powerful goal that encompases the benefits it will give you when you start implementing the changes, the process will flow in your favor.
The solution: set small achievable goals and gradually replace old habits with healthier ones. You can also link a new habit to a habit you have already mastered.
Absence of social support:
Social support plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially when you are just starting your process. If you surround yourself with people who share your goals or motivate you, it will be easier to maintain your healthy habits.
The solution: seek support from friends, family or even groups of people who share your interests and health goals. Sharing experiences and receiving support will help you get through the tough times and keep your motivation high.
Stress:
Mild or chronic stress can sabotage your efforts to lead a healthy life. Many people turn to unhealthy food or give up exercise when they are stressed.
The solution: Make time in your day to connect with yourself. Ideally, you should do this as soon as you wake up so that you start the day nurturing self-love. Try techniques such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing or find relaxing activities.
Lack of time:
Lack of time is a common excuse for not prioritizing your health. However, it is possible to find time to take care of yourself if you make it a priority.
The solution: Identify the least productive activities in your daily routine and look for opportunities to incorporate small healthy changes or even take advantage of downtime to stretch or take a walk. Scheduling it in your calendar helps immensely in addition to preparing the night before for the next day, such as leaving your workout clothes next to your bed so that as soon as you get up it's the first thing you do and you don't have to go looking for them. Another example is to prepare healthy meals in advance to take to the office or eat at home.
Temptations and cravings:
Temptations and cravings can mistreat your efforts to maintain healthy eating. The solution: Identify the time of day when you get cravings and what might be triggering the urge to snack. Include protein in each of the three meals of the day, eat a carb-free breakfast, take sugar out of your pantry and control carbohydrate intake.
Lack of variety:
Monotony in your diet and exercise routine can cause you to abandon the plan. The solution: Have a variety of nutritious foods in your diet, explore new recipes and try different physical activities, cardio, strength training, online, in-person, etc. Keeping variety will help you stay motivated and interested.
Extreme self-demand:
Chasing perfection in your healthy lifestyle can be counterproductive. Perfection is the enemy of the good. Everything in the extreme can become counterproductive to your life.
The solution: set realistic goals and celebrate the victories you achieve. Adopt a mindset of progress and learning. Be kind to yourself when you face challenges, remember that you learn from your mistakes to move forward.
Lack of sleep:
Lack of adequate sleep can negatively affect your health and wellness-related decisions. Insufficient sleep and rest can affect your energy, your ability to resist cravings and your motivation to be active.
The solution: Prioritize quality sleep by establishing a regular sleep routine, get at least 6-7 hours of sleep, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, create a sleep-friendly environment, and avoid stimulants before bedtime such as caffeine and alcohol.
Absence of self-reflection:
Not enough self-reflection and self-awareness can be major self saboteurs. If you don't take the time to evaluate your habits, identify your triggers and understand your motivations, you are more likely to fall into unhealthy patterns without even realizing it.
The solution: take time regularly to reflect on your lifestyle and make adjustments when necessary. Keep a journal where you can write down and view your thoughts, seek feedback from people you admire who are living the health and wellness you'd like to achieve, and notice how your current choices affect your wellness to make necessary adjustments.
In conclusion, overcoming the most common spoilers of a healthy lifestyle requires awareness, planning and perseverance. Identifying these obstacles and developing strategies to overcome them will help you stay on the path to a more balanced life on the road to success. Seeking help from a Health Coach is always an alternative you have to learn, apply and model the changes you want to incorporate into your life. Remember that every step you take counts and that you are creating a lifestyle that will bring you wellness and happiness in the long run. You have the power to overcome these saboteurs and live the life you envision tomorrow!
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