If you feel like you have let your health slide over the last year and you are struggling to gain the momentum to get back on track then my hope is that this blog may be of help.
The events over the last year were certainly unexpected and challenging for many. Stress levels increased, and the routines we once had went out of the window overnight. I certainly had periods where I struggled physically and emotionally, and my enthusiasm for taking care of myself through my food, drink choices, and exercise went astray. I know I am not the only one who felt this way, and if you are still feeling low and struggling to get out of the cycle, I share this short blog to reassure you of one thing. It is not too late.
Whether it is your weight, physical aches and pain you are experiencing, or your fitness, you may feel like you are a million miles away from where you were, or would like to be, and the most comfortable thing to do is just carry on doing the same thing – eating the food which you know isn’t good for you, avoiding seeking help to aid your aches and pains, or not moving as you should.
Change is hard and pushing yourself to do something new is not comfortable which is why we often carry on doing the same thing. It’s human nature and it feels good. But deep down for many of us, guilt and frustration starts to build inside. Deep down we know what we need to do, but we are choosing not to do it.
So why don’t we do it?
Often the thought of doing something is harder than actually doing it, and the story we tell ourselves is constantly steering us away from taking action. Let’s take going out for a simple jog. It is quite easy to put on our leggings and sportswear, lace up our trainers and go. But then the little voice in our head starts talking, and may say something like “your bum looks big in those leggings and I can see your pant lines! You want to run down the road looking like that?!” “It’s too cold”. “You’re too tired, you’ve had a long week why not just relax and have a glass of wine?”
We end up talking ourselves out of doing the thing that we know is good for us! We reach the end of the day and the guilt creeps in. We tell ourselves that we will ‘do it tomorrow’. And then tomorrow comes, we end up ‘busy’ and we continue in the cycle.
Does this sound familiar? Having the awareness of this voice is the first step to making change. And the good news is, you have the ability to override it! Before you even get into this mental battle, just lace up those trainers and get outside, or pick up that phone and make that call to seek help. Put one foot in front of the other and take action.
If what you want to achieve seems overwhelming, why not break it down into small steps? Just commit to one thing.
Your commitment could be anything, but it needs to have purpose and help you to move forward positively in your life. It could be cutting out alcohol, adding extra vegetables to your plate, going out for a 30-minute walk. Start small, do it consistently each day, and not only will you physically start to feel the benefits after a couple of weeks, but your confidence will also start to increase because you are keeping the promises you made to yourself.
Don’t punish yourself for the actions you have taken as we can’t change what has happened in the past. We can, however, change what happens going forward. It is not too late to get back on track, but it is going to take commitment and determination, especially during the first week when that little voice will be making every excuse for you to stop.
It is a similar concept when people first visit us at Epoch Lincoln. Often there has been aches and pains building up over a period of time and then one day a realisation comes, the impact it is having on life is too much and help is sought. Like anything new, starting chiropractic care can be a bit daunting. At the start, the frequency of visits is often higher because like anything, it takes time and repetition for change to happen. However, over time, as the body starts creating a new pattern, a more optimal way of working, the frequency of visits reduces, momentum builds, pain eases and you start to gain control of your health. It is often the first few weeks of care that are the hardest because it does take commitment, but it sure is worth it once you see results, and it is the same for all areas of life.
Start small, be consistent, create that momentum, and I promise if you allow enough time you will start to feel and see the benefits. Don’t wait, start today. You’ve got this.
With love,
Sarah
