If you could flip a switch to get to the state of health you want – would you do it? This sounds simple doesn’t it, and it actually works. It`s simply a matter of wanting something new and creating new habits. What’s complicated is when people want something new but also want to keep the old habits at the same time.
Years ago when I was in poor health I learned how to flip the attitude switch; it took time and effort but I’ve been in good health for many years and the benefits are huge. You too can switch your mindset to help you build new habits and reach the place you want to be.
Before taking action it’s important to start with self-talk to figure out exactly what you want. If you don’t give yourself a fair chance it may set you up for disappointment; then the spiral of trying and failing or the cycle of losing weight and gaining it back begins. You can choose to let negative thoughts about past disappointments go – for example, thoughts such as “I can’t lose weight” can be written out and the paper destroyed. Part of making a new plan is to remember what you learned from past mistakes and fix that learning experience in your brain. You can also think of past successes and adapt these ideas to make a plan with thoughts of how to succeed again this time.
In a book called Mindset – the new psychology of success, Carol Dweck describes how people have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006). The fixed mindset believes that people are born with traits to be smart or dumb, fat or thin, star athlete or not; this type of thinking keeps people stuck in old habits. The growth mindset helps you to start now to identify what you want, and helps you to figure out how to put in an effort to develop healthy habits so you can learn and grow into the type of person you want to be.
It seems that the brain may need to change in order to see possibilities you haven’t seen before. Meditation and mindfulness skills help to strengthen the brain so you can identify a path and stay on track. The use of a filter question is a tool that can keep you in the right mindset; this question helps you to choose healthier lifestyle habits when making decisions about what to buy in the grocery store or what to order in a restaurant. Ask yourself “Is this good for my health?” If the answer is yes then you know you’re on track, and if the answer is no then simply rethink the decision.
Wellness coaching offers many ways to help you reach your best possible state of health and wellbeing. You can “Start Here and Go Forward” to take the steps towards a conscious mindset that will help you achieve your goals and maintain them.
Reference:
Dweck , Carol S. (2006). Mindset – the new psychology of success. Random House, New York
Author: Leah Ruppel, B.A.
