If I had to pick a statement that I hear from pretty much all of my clients (and friends!) – it would be “I really want to be healthier, but I just don’t have the willpower.” And the good news is – that willpower isn’t the answer anyway! Don’t get me wrong – willpower and motivation can be great to get you started – like turning the ignition on your car. However, willpower will not keep you going over the long term. That’s where you need a different approach
4 Simple Tips For Health Transformations That Actually Last
- Focus On The Daily Habits Not On The End Goals:
Any successful person will tell you that setting goals that inspire & motivate you is essential to success – and I wholeheartedly agree. However, on a day to day basis, if you focus only on the goals, the tendency can be to dwell on the gap between where you are now and how far away those goals are – which can be incredibly demotivating and dispiriting – and can cause many people to give up. A more effective solution is to put your focus on the actual daily healthy habits & activities – and commit to those habits – every single day. These can be really small initially, but ticking these off every single day can be very motivating – and you will find yourself wanting to add more.
- Get Real:
Too many of us set our inspiring goals but forget that we have busy, full lives – juggling a huge number of responsibilities, from work to family to older parents – and fitting in new regimes can become hard to sustain, especially when life throws us curveballs, like sick children, work stresses, pandemics etc. So being realistic about lives we lead is essential if we are going to be able to sustain any new habits or changes.
So take some time to be really honest about what is manageable for you. If getting up at 6am for a run or to meditate before making a homemade smoothie and packing a nutritious lunch is not going to be possible, re-think it. Better to go more slowly and have the changes last, than go for the quick fix transformations that have you back at zero (and feeling like a failure) within weeks.
So go slowly, be realistic about your own life – and take it at a pace that suits you. The results may take a little longer to appear, but over time the effects will multiply way beyond what you think is possible now.
- Make It About More Than Just Food – It’s About Living Your Best Life:
Too many health programmes put all the focus on food – and can become all about diets, deprivation and denial – of counting & measuring calories, fat units, points, kilos etc. Which is a pretty dull, dry and dispiriting way to live your life. I am passionate about my clients living lives that they love – and having the health and energy to do that. But dragging yourself through the day hungry, miserable and craving treats is definitely not part of that equation.
On top of this, if you are feeling stressed and miserable, your digestion will shut down too, which leads to lowered nutrition, increased fat storage and higher toxicity. So miserable health regimes can actually make you less healthy! So instead – change it around. Food is absolutely the foundation of great health. But not calorie counted, low fat, processed health/diet foods. Instead focus on real, vibrant, fresh, colourful, whole food that looks delicious. And food that you actually enjoy!
But also – don’t neglect all the other elements that are vital to health – rest, exercise, stress management, mental health, hormones. And just as importantly, creativity, fun, friends and doing what brings you joy. All of these have a profound effect on your biochemistry that is far more beneficial than the latest diet food.
- Focus On What You Love:
Whilst it’s important to try new things (foods, exercise, daily habits etc), there is absolutely no point in forcing yourself to do things you really don’t like. So start with finding the healthy things you actually enjoy – whether that’s particular foods, types of exercise, or environments that make you feel good. So if you hate kale – don’t force yourself to eat it. Find green veggies that you do like – maybe some steamed asparagus, or stir fried broccoli – and throw in as many herbs, spices and fresh flavourings that you want so you can really enjoy it. Your health is your most essential attribute – and investing time & focus on it in the right way can bring you results that go way beyond what you expect – and truly change your life.
So what small action can you take – TODAY – to start the change.
I’d love to hear how you get on – so do leave a message in the chat or connect with me below.
About The Author
Jules Anderson – BSC(hons:1st), Dip ITEC, CHHC: I am passionate about helping people live life as fully and joyfully as possible – and I know that creating vibrant & lasting health is an essential foundation for that. My approach is centred on a unique combination of cutting edge science, natural healing techniques and behavioural change – for health transformations that actually last. Whilst most approaches focus on treating the symptoms of ill health, I focus on uncovering the source of the problems. So clients don’t just get well, they STAY well.
I’m trained in integrative health & nutrition and functional medicine and take a fully holistic view of health, from food, to exercise and stress management, from sleep to your environment and toxicity. I launched Feel Glorious over a decade ago and work with individuals, groups and businesses, with clients in the US and Canada, Denmark, Australia and across the UK.
Furthermore, all my programmes are tailored specifically to fit individual circumstances and lifestyle – so you can achieve vibrant lasting health, no matter how busy you are.
You can find me here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jules-anderson-95741b3b/