In my last blog I looked at goal setting and how to foster compassionate goals. Within this blog and look at how to identify the activity that will form the basis of your goal and to look at the steps to get that as part of your regular routine. Have you been able to identify a compassionate goal, if you have not generated an idea of your own compassionate goal please get in touch and I will help with a free 20 minute phone consultation.
Once you have formed the overall goal the next steps are to identify the activities that will enable you to meet that goal.
What has brought you to look at a blog about wellbeing and exercise? Are you feeling fatigued? Do you want to feel stronger or like yourself more? Are you just curious and looking for ideas about what you can do? When I work with a client I strive to really understand your values so that we can find activities that are in line with your beliefs. Motivation is much easier to maintain if the task is something that you enjoy or something that fits with your beliefs.
If a client tells me that they want to feel more energised I first look at expectations of energy to ensure you are realistic (No-one is a robot that can function 24 hours a day), we then build in activities that create energy and reduce factors that may cause fatigue.
If, like me, and don't think exercise is for you, the first step is notice what past experiences are shaping that idea; maybe you had a poor experience of exercise from PE in school or are afraid it will hurt. IN this instance it can be useful for your first steps to be to explore what movement and activity feels good so that you can experience activities that you didn't know you enjoyed. Also allow yourself recovery. Muscles hurt when they are being challenged. Feel pride that you have taken yourself out of your comfort zone.
If you are not confident in your body, break down the task into small chunks. I will show you how amazing your body is: how it can learn and adapt to different exercise, how it can repair and heal itself; all the while we will also explore how you think about your body so that you can have body acceptance and start liking or even loving yourself.
If you have a health concern that you feel impacts on the quality of your life then we can look at activities that will reduce the impact of your health condition that may aid recovery.
Get a pen or a document open on your phone and list the tasks that will meet the goal such as:
Contact a personal trainer, look at exercise classes or gyms in your area, make contact and ask about what equipment you need, trial doing three new activities that you have identified, trial going to one activity a week for 3 weeks then review, go swimming, do 10 minutes of mindfulness, change resistance training from an endurance approach to a strength approach, do a random act of kindness.
Once you have listed the tasks, put them in an order of how they need to be completed then put a date next to each one. Add them into your calendar or tell someone you are going to do them. I am a big fan of post-it notes (but more about that another day). Every marathon running started by stepping off the couch, they couldn’t run at first. If a strongman went to pick up half a kilo having never trained there is no way that it would move. If the activity is new you will have to step out of your comfort zone to make those first steps.
If you are wanting to return to an activity then you may be familiar with the steps involved. This may make it easier or it may mean that you feel guilty. I will explore guilt and other barriers in my next blog so come back next week on knowing and overcoming barriers.
Sarah is an Occupational Therapist and personal trainer who is passionate about helping people flourish @MoodLifterPT She is always happy to be contacted if you want to find out more.
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