January is here, and with it comes the opportunity for a fresh start. It's no secret that the beginning of the year is often dubbed "the biggest get healthy month." Many people see the start of a new year as a chance to set new health goals, shed those holiday pounds, and embark on a journey towards a healthier lifestyle. In this blog post, we will explore why January is the ideal time to prioritize your health and provide you with essential tools and strategies to achieve your health goals, in a way that you may have never done before! We will also delve into the emotional aspect of setting New Year's resolutions, weighing yourself, why these can be such an emotionally charged experience, and how to flip the script for lasting success!
Why January is the Biggest Get Healthy Month:
The reasons are obvious, right?
New Year, New You: The start of a new year marks a clean slate on the calendar, and mentally, this propels us forward to take action. It symbolizes a fresh beginning and an opportunity to reinvent yourself. Many people are motivated to make positive changes in their lives during this time, and improving health is often at the top of their list.
Holiday Reflection: After indulging in festive treats and meals during the holiday season, January offers a chance to reflect on one's eating habits and set healthier ones in motion. And if your body is like mine, today it might feel heavy, sluggish and inflamed from all of the damn delicious energy sucking foods I consumed.
Resolutions and Accountability: New Year's resolutions are common, and they serve as a powerful tool for setting and achieving health goals. The act of declaring your intentions for the year ahead can help you stay accountable. And if you are someone that hates New Year's resolutions, ask yourself why.
The Emotional Rollercoaster Trap:
Stepping on the scale and setting New Year's resolutions can be emotionally charged for many reasons, and before we can even chat about setting goals, it is important to take a closer look at the emotional attachments that come up in regards to solely focusing on your weight. The first step to removing the blockages that keep us stuck from personal growth is to get curious without judgment. Simply observe your behavior and self talk that prevent you from moving forward.
Fear of Judgment: People often associate their self-worth with their weight. They fear that a number on the scale will determine their value, leading to anxiety and self-esteem issues. Simply look at the scale as one tool of measurement.
Past Experiences: Negative experiences related to body image or weight can make weighing yourself or talking about weight loss a trigger for emotional distress. This especially shows up if you lacked follow through with past intentions multiple times because you have developed a deep mistrust for yourself in this area. This can be a trap for the limiting story of telling yourself that this is just the way you are.
Pressure to Achieve Results: High expectations you put on yourself and societal pressure to achieve rapid weight loss can lead to disappointment when the scale doesn't cooperate, which is why so many people shy away from fitness challenges. So why try, right? You can't fail if you don't try.
Not Enough Time: This story is the classic that eating healthy, exercise, or getting enough sleep take too much time and effort. These are some basic physiological needs that are a building block for life success and longevity. If you don't prioritize your health today, it will add up to more time later when you body physically demands it. Our bodies are amazingly strong and resilient, but the stress that it endures over a long period of time will eventually cause it to overload and give out.
Self Sabotage: The number isn't moving at the speed that I want it to, or I'm not seeing the results as fast as I want, so what is the use? Therefore you find yourself in the arms of comfort food to give you that quick serotonin hug, which prevents the results you truly desire. The sabotaging cycle continues.
The REAL Health Questions to Ask Yourself:
In order to live our best healthy lives, we need to take a holistic approach, quiet our mind chatter, and listen to what our body is telling us. Ask yourself these five questions to create awareness with how your body might be trying to communicate with you to make some changes.
How is my gut health? Do you feel bloated ie full and you didn't eat? Stomach pains? Inflammation? Are your bowel movements regular?
Do I have brain fog? Is it hard to focus and concentrate? Are you feeling challenged with remembering last week, struggling to pull thoughts out of your head or telling a simple story isn't simple?
Do I feel emotionally balanced? Does this question annoy you? Are you feeling moody, irritated, impatient or anxious? Are you feeling sad and low? Or are you feeling flat, or numb, lacking passion about anything? Are you stressed out?
What is my sleep schedule? Do you have a consistent circadian rhythm with going to bed and waking up at consistent times allowing yourself to get 7-9 hours of rest? Do you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep?
Is my body in pain? Do I move my body enough or do I have stuck energy that might show up as aches and pains that is calling to be released? Or can I focus on building muscle to strengthen weak areas in my body to feel strong?
Flip the Script to an Empowering One: Flex Your Positive Mind Muscle
To overcome the emotional charge that is associated with health and weight loss, focus on the positive outcomes for taking action and release the past limiting stories. Everday, we get the opportunity to create and live the life we chose.
What We Focus on Grows: Celebrate achievements like improved energy levels, better sleep, and increased strength, instead of fixating on a number on the scale.
Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself and remember that progress takes time. Avoid harsh self-criticism that will create stress on the body, and ultimately keep you stuck.
Anchor Into Your WHY: Connect with the freedom you would experience with more balance and harmony through listening to your body, understanding it, and giving it what it needs for longevity.
Baby Steps Forward: Small steps lead to big changes; big changes are a series of small steps. You will experience more peace and joy along your health journey by practicing patience and repeating this mantra above. At times, it will feel like not much is changing, and then one day you turn around and see all of the positive growth you have made.
Tools and Strategies to Achieve Your Health Goals:
Set SMART Goals: Make your health goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Remember, this is specific to your personal goals, moving at a speed that is sustainable for your lifestyle change, no one else's. Beware of comparison, for it is the stealer of joy. This approach helps you create clear objectives and track your progress effectively.
Create a Plan: Develop a detailed plan that outlines meal planning, exercise routine, and any other relevant activities. Having a structured plan makes it easier to stay on track, and it takes the emotion out of it.
Find Support: Share your health goals with friends or family members who can provide encouragement and motivation. Join a support group or hire a health and life coach like myself to cheer you on when the challenges arise. One of the benefits to a good coach is to help train your mind to shift from negative to positive so it becomes a natural way of being.
Stay Consistent: Consistency is key to achieving any health goal. Make a schedule and stick to it, even when motivation wanes. However, life does throw us curve balls at times, so have a plan on how to pivot in those moments, especially when self sabotage shows up.
Track Your Progress: Keep a journal or use apps to track your diet, exercise, and other health-related activities. Seeing your progress can boost motivation.
Meditate: When you start feel stressed out or overwhelmed, reconnect with your breath with deep cleansing belly breathes, and visualize a golden, peaceful energy filling up your body to recharge you. Connect to your "WHY," the vision you created for optimum health and tap into the positive energy as if you already have it.
In conclusion, January is indeed the biggest "get healthy" month for many good reasons. It's a time of fresh starts, resolutions, and renewed motivation. By following the tools and strategies outlined above and approaching the scale with a healthier mindset, you can make the most of this opportunity to kickstart a healthier lifestyle that lasts far beyond January. This builds trust in yourself and changes your habits for the GOOD. Schedule a 30 minute complimentary consultation call with me to take action in 2024. Remember, the journey to better health is a marathon, not a sprint, so be patient and kind to yourself along the way, and practice flipping the script to an empowering one!
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