When life gets in the way

You leave a session feeling all psyched up, ready to take on the actions which you’ve co-created with your coach which will propel you forward on your health journey and then BOOM…something crops up that completely derails your week. “Oh well” you say to yourself, “let’s write that week off and start again after the next session.”

Sound familiar?

Do you recognise that scenario? It’s a familiar one to us all isn’t it? Whether it’s the intention to stop reaching for the chocolate or biscuits this week or to cut down on the alcohol once and for all. We’ve all set ourselves targets and then felt ourselves slip sliding down the slippery path on the snakes and ladders board again, feeling deflated and more than a bit disappointed with ourselves. So, what can we do to help ourselves keep momentum when life makes things a little more challenging?

Be realistic

Perhaps the goal was a step too far just now?

If you’re currently drinking every day and your aim was to cut down to weekends only then perhaps it was a stretch and needs breaking down into intermediate steps?

If you knew that it was going to be a particularly stressful week then maybe it wasn’t the time to kick start the new action.

Reset immediately

Why do we so easily write off a whole week when actually each day and even each section of each day provides the chance to reset? I’ll explain what I mean.

What if you saw each day as being three parts? Morning, afternoon and evening. If you find yourself reaching for something mid-morning that you hadn’t intended to then all you need to do is simply take note, reset and start again for the afternoon session. Wipe the slate clean and above all, be kind to yourself.

Notice what you need

What helps you stay on track?

• Perhaps it’s a visual reminder stuck in your kitchen or bedroom which gives you that conscience prompt you need?

• Or maybe it’s a daily check in with a family member or friend who is supporting you on your journey?

• Could you make use of Feel Well’s accountability service which provides daily support to keep you on the right path?

• Does linking an action to a reward help motivate you to keep going? Perhaps you pop a coin in a jar to save up for a treat every time to accomplish your action, or you simply stop and give yourself a pat on the back and recognise how far you’ve come? Each of us is very different. For some people, simply recognising small steps of progress may be enough.

We’ll be sharing more top tips for habit change in the months to come so do look out for them.

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