Sometimes the thing you need most is the thing you feel like doing the least. I think we all know that we’ll feel better by moving our bodies and eating nutrient dense foods. Often the problem for people is not actually knowledge thing, but more of a motivation thing.
Let’s just be honest. Life is hard….ok.. adulting is hard. I’m going to use myself as a personal example and hope that you can relate here. Keeping up with all the things is hard. I’m a mama. I own a business. I’m a wife. I do the meal planning and grocery shopping. I do the majority of the cooking. I do most of the house cleaning. These are just the adulting tasks, but when you throw in the inner child work that I’ve been doing for 6 years….this stuff all adds up. Can you relate?
There are certainly days where I don’t feel motivated to move my body or eat well. Heck, there are whole seasons that I don’t feel motivated. This is where making space for motivation comes in.
Sometimes motivation follows the action instead of preceding it.
-Liv
What I mean is that sometimes motivation follows the action instead of preceding it. Each week I schedule my workouts. I set aside time to meal plan. These actions are making space for motivation. Ninety nine percent of the time I feel better after I complete a workout. I’m glad that I showed up. I haven’t felt motivated to meal plan in a LONG time, but I keep doing it because the weeks that I plan are always less stressful and I feel so much better.
In seasons of low-motivation, the motivation I do have comes from me taking action. I may adjust how I move my body (the frequency, intensity, type of movement, etc.) and or what types of meals I cook, BUT I keep showing up in whatever ways I am ready, willing and able to.
What is one thing you can commit to right now to take care of your health? Keep it simple. Maybe it’s including protein with your breakfast a few mornings a week. Or maybe it’s a 20 minute walk 1-2 days a week.
If you’re looking for some direction here, I’ve created an online nutrition program and community called: EatWell. In the program, we will talk about what to eat, but even more importantly, how to change both your mindset and habits surrounding nutrition. It is designed to help you make lasting changes by improving your health one small habit at a time. You don’t have to do something drastic! Let’s find manageable solutions that work for YOU, based on your preferences, goals, and lifestyle.
LivWell by Olivia Dykes 