Recommit to your 2022 health goals with these easy tips and tools.
Okay, so it’s now half-way through February, eight weeks since you bounded out of bed with zest and enthusiasm to create a new, healthy you in 2022. How’s that working for you now?
About 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by March and it’s usually simply because we’re human, and humans are generally impatient, wanting it to all ‘happen now’. Also, it can be difficult to follow through with a new routine when we’re stuck in an old routine, for example being back at work and doing the daily grinds, and not being realistic about our goals.
We’re here to help you be in the 20% of successors so we’ve put together some easy tips and tools to get you recommitted and back on track with your 2022 health goals.
Be that new you in your mind, now!
To become a new person, you need to think as the new person you want to be. In other words, as an example, if you’re carrying too much weight and you’re thinking and saying that you’re overweight, you will always struggle with weight issues. Whilst this might seem crazy, all you have to do is delve into some good personal development books around goal setting, and you will learn all about this concept.
Surround yourself with positiveness and goal-oriented paraphernalia. Create a vision board with images of good food, a healthy person’s body with your head on top, and other pictures and words that relate to your goals and wants. Write positive affirmations about the new you, speaking them out loud to yourself as many times as possible during the day. Display copies of your vision board and affirmations around your home, on your phone and computer, and in your office if appropriate.
Your mind is the powerhouse behind everything you do. You can literally train your mind to be so strong-willed, your body has no choice but to follow. Interestingly, you will notice that people and things to help you achieve what you want, are attracted to you – this is called the ‘Law of Attraction’, a powerful universal law well documented and taught online and in personal development circles.
Check out some of these great reads, and start developing and being that new you you’ve always wanted to be: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/personal-development
Don’t be hard on yourself and enjoy the process
People often struggle with their goals when they see the ‘doing’ as a chore. In terms of wanting to be healthier, when juices are bland and exercise becomes a bore, it’s easy to give up and revert back to bad habits.
So, firstly become aware of the triggers which might divert you off your path, and learn and adjust. Don’t judge yourself for reneging on your promise to yourself, but do observe why you did it.
Motivation expert, Gabriele Oettingen, came up with a fun way to reset, called WOOP. She suggests when the new habit-forming gets tough, you do this:
- clarify your Wish (think of your goal and why you want it)
- visualise a successful Outcome (eg feeling good about yourself for not being diverted)
- foresee possible Obstacles (eg a stressful day at work or being invited to friends for dinner and drinks)
- Plan ways to overcome them (eg go for a walk, meditate, have a nice relaxing bath and in terms of dinner at your friends, explain to them what you’re wanting to achieve, say “no thanks” to meat and pasta lasagne, and BYO your healthy alternative). If they’re real friends, they’ll support you.
Here’s a great site which elaborates on WOOP and provides practical ways to use it. You could also gain more understanding of the process of achieving your goals, and how to enjoy it more: https://woopmylife.org/en/practice
Keep tabs on your progress
Often you might be going forward but the changes might be so small you miss them and think you’re not getting anywhere. Accountability is a key component to ensuring you complete the daily tasks to eventually achieve your goal.
First, choose an accountability partner, someone you can trust and confide in, and who will gently but firmly steer you back on track if you need it. Share your goals, and possibly a photo, with them. A good accountability partner will remind you of your strengths and encourage you to keep going. They might even be willing to exercise with you which is always a more fun option.
If you’re trying to lose weight, measuring yourself by the scales is frustrating as muscle weighs more than fat. The best way to keep track of body mass is to grab a tape measure and record the measurement of your hips, waist, chest and biceps. If you didn’t do this initially when you first started, measure them now and keep a record of changes every week.
Be disciplined in recording your progress. As you keep going, you will be able to watch your goal get closer and closer to fruition. This in turn will motivate you to keep going.
Quality supplementation can help too
Whilst good healthy food and exercise are essential, it may surprise you that supplements and natural home products can be excellent tools in achieving ‘better health’ goals.
We at Wonder Foods are all about helping people achieve their health and wellbeing goals by developing and providing products with no fillers, artificial colours, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives. Check out our selection of functional foods and single-ingredient products to support you where needed, here.
Repeated New Year resolution failures can rock your confidence and send you into a spiralling pit of self-doubt and feelings of helplessness. The simple tips we’ve shared above, in particular working on your mindset, can help break the cycle and build belief in yourself, eliminate procrastination and get you well on the road to achieving that new you you’ve always strived for.
