Make Health A Priority: How to Find Motivation on Your Health Journey

How to Find Motivation on Your Health Journey

Your health journey is a personalized one where you make sustainable and healthy changes to your lifestyle. This can range from better eating and sleeping habits to more physical activity. It can even be as simple as doing more of those things that make you happy.

Embarking on this health journey will do you a world of good, from feeling better mentally to fewer health problems. But starting out isn’t always easy.

STARTING YOUR HEALTH JOURNEY

Despite knowing the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, beginning this journey can be daunting. However, the following tips can make it easier for you.

Set smart goals.

Knowing what you’re working towards and how the journey will play out can be an excellent source of motivation. You should start out with simple goals and slowly work your way up.

You should ensure that your goals are specific because vague goals can make it difficult to track your progress. It is also helpful to specify when you want to achieve the goal but make it realistic. If your goal is unrealistic or unachievable within the designated time frame, you will be setting yourself up for failure. This can lead to inevitable disappointment and demotivation.

In addition, big goals can be discouraging. So, you should consider breaking them into smaller ones and work on one per time. Ticking off each goal gives you a sense of accomplishment, which reduces your chances of getting discouraged. This can help boost your confidence and motivate you to keep going.

Setting attainable goals that do not take too long to complete also minimizes your chances of losing motivation along the way. Furthermore, you shouldn’t set too many goals at once, as this can be overwhelming.

For instance, if you’ve never worked out or it has been a while, instead of a goal that says “work out more,” you should consider something more specific like “15 minutes walk 3 times next week.” This way, you have a clearer picture of the goal and how you want to achieve it. The goal is also straightforward and realistic.

Find what works best for you.

You should make healthy choices that you genuinely enjoy, so you can reap maximum benefit. So, say you do not like certain cardiovascular exercises like running and cycling; you can try other types like swimming, dancing, or hiking.

Your journey should not be about sticking with the norm or what is popular. Instead, it should be about making choices that help you enjoy the lifestyle you’ve chosen.

Have a written schedule.

Writing down your plan increases your chances of going through with it. So you should write down the days and times you plan to work out in your calendar.

Scheduling your meals and snacks can also help you prevent binge eating. This is because the schedule can help you avoid extreme hunger, which is the most common cause of overeating.

You can apply this to every change you want to make, be it better sleep, taking breaks at work, etc.

Modify your environment.

It is challenging to eat healthy when you have a bag of tasty chips or cookies in the cupboard, especially in moments of weakness. So you should control your environment to prevent munching on high-calorie foods when you’re bored or excited.

Clear out junk food from your kitchen and stock it with healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, healthy yogurt (with minimal fat and sugar), and sugar-free gum. After all, it is hard to snack on junk foods when you do not have them lying around.

Make small daily changes.

Choosing to live healthy doesn’t have to be all or none. It’s okay to start small and make simple changes to your lifestyle. These seemingly minor changes add up over time to make you healthier. Examples of small changes you can make include:

• Drink 2 more glasses of water every day.
• Avoid foods rich in trans fats.
• Cut out refined carbohydrates, such as sweets and white bread.
• Get an extra 30 minutes of sleep every night.
• Walk for 10 additional minutes during your daily exercise.
• Take an hourly break at work to take 250 steps (2000 steps burns 100 calories).

Understand that the health journey is not linear.

There will be good and bad days on your journey. And you cannot avoid the bad days. The key to staying motivated is to embrace those bad days and learn from them instead of tagging them as a failure. Then continue with your healthy lifestyle choices.

No matter what happens, make sure you enjoy the ride – whether you slipped on your diet or you took more steps than you planned to.

Focus on the journey rather than the destination.

There is no doubt that setting goals can help you commit to your health. But being in a hurry to hit a milestone can drain you emotionally and mentally, making you lose motivation before you reach your goal. It is, therefore, vital that you enjoy the process and celebrate small victories.

HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED

If you’ve already started out on your health journey, you have more than enough reasons to pat yourself on the back. But there is no doubt that things might happen down the road that can make you lose your drive. So your motivation level can sometimes drop, and you find yourself struggling to stick to your diet, sleep schedule, workout routine, and so on. The following tips can help you push through even when you do not feel like making healthy choices.

Remember your reason for starting.

Whatever your reason for starting your health journey is, remember that it is valid and important. So you can use it as a source of motivation.

For example, if you are doing it to be a healthier parent, you can draw motivation from your love for your kids.

Celebrate milestones

Having a reward system can keep you motivated on this journey because it gives you something to look forward to. So you should reward yourself when you achieve a set objective. Think about small rewards like a day at your favorite spa if you are able to stick to your exercise routine for a whole month. Or grand rewards like a weekend trip when you achieve a big goal. You should choose something that you can look forward to every day until you make it happen.

However, your rewards should be healthy because unhealthy ones can set you back on the progress you’ve made.

You don’t have to do it alone.

It is natural for you to be more motivated on some days than others. This is why you cannot underestimate the importance of a support system – whether in a community or an accountability partner. Knowing that you have to account to someone or that someone will cheer you on gives you a reason to put in the effort. Even on days when you can’t find the motivation within yourself.

The support can be your spouse, friend, co-worker, or even an online buddy. It doesn’t matter, as long as you have someone that keeps you going. You can call on your support system whenever you’re having trouble sticking to healthy habits. You can even invite them to celebrate with you when you hit your objective – even if it’s as seemingly minor as hitting 10000 steps for the first time.

Be kind to yourself

Say you go on vacation and you overeat or fail to exercise. Do not beat yourself up. Instead, accept the fact that you had a good time and let it go. Then continue with your healthy lifestyle.

An occasional indulgence is okay. So if you start feeling guilty for having that dessert last night, forgive yourself and get back on track with your disciplined routine.

Add variety to make the journey fun.

Going through the same workout routine or eating the same meals every day can get boring very fast. Try switching things up to keep it interesting. You can search for new types of workouts, join a dancing class, and so on. You can even check out new food recipes.

Identify what makes you slip.

An essential aspect of staying motivated is knowing your problem areas and drawing up a plan to deal with them. For example, if you find yourself using food to cope with boredom, disappointment, or even success, you should think of healthier, non-food ways to deal with your emotions.

STAY MOTIVATED, STAY HEALTHY

If you’re having a hard time beginning your health journey or you’re struggling to stay on track, these tips can help you stay motivated. So, set your goals, keep things interesting, celebrate your achievements from time to time, and experience a better you.

Remember, healthy living is a life-long journey, and it always pays off.