How To Get Your Head In The Game
Congratulations, you’ve made it to week 3 of the Tanita 12 Week Challenge!
By this stage, you might find that you’ve started to revert back to some old - and potentially unhealthy - habits. That’s totally normal!
This week’s topic is coming at just the right time to help you figure out how to boost your motivation and keep a positive mindset.
Play Music 🎵
While it might sound like an obvious suggestion, music is a killer way of boosting your motivation levels.
Apps like Spotify & Apple Music have a tonne of curated playlists filled with songs designed to get your heart pumping and your head in the game when it comes to working out.
Not a fan of these pre-made playlists? Create your own! Add in any and all songs that make you feel like you can take on the world whenever you hear them. If you’re feeling unmotivated, chuck in your headphones and you’ll be ready to go in no time.
YouTube 📺 & Social Media
There are many YouTubers that have channels dedicated to motivation and habits, or specific topics around health and fitness. Find yourself a couple of people who you like and follow them. Any time you’re in need of a mental boost, watch a few of their videos.
It’s important that you’re only following people that are offering sound advice on how to better yourself (this also applies to social media accounts). If you feel bad when watching these videos because the person has a completely unachievable lifestyle or body, avoid these videos - they’re motivation killers!
You can also follow Tanita on Instagram for tips and tricks to help you on your fitness journey.
Change Your Environment
Another way of getting out of a mental funk is changing up your environment.
Maybe you’re getting sick of the gym and need to change it up a bit. This week, instead of hitting the treadmill, try and find a nice path to walk or jog instead. Or maybe a swim at the beach is a bit more appealing than the indoor pool you’ve been going to.
Swapping your environment completely is one thing, but you can also make changes to your current environment as well to help boost your motivation, like decluttering your house/apartment if you prefer to workout at home. This will remove distractions and let you focus on your workout, and it might even mean those pesky snacks are hidden away (or thrown out) too.
Remove Barriers
It’s easy to get super hyped about working out or eating healthy tomorrow, and then waking up in the morning without any motivation whatsoever.
For mornings especially, removing any barriers that may impede your motivation is crucial. This can be done by making sure as much of your day as possible has been prepared and planned the night before - your lunch is prepared, your workout clothes are clean, your gym bag is packed, etc.
If you’ve removed any of these friction points, you’ve also removed any excuse to not keep working towards your goals that day. Ready to skip the gym because you didn’t have time to pack your clothes this morning? Not anymore.
Focus On Achievements
Motivation is always about looking ahead, but it’s also just as important to look back.
Think about the goals you’ve set and achieved so far - even if it’s something as simple as just deciding to make a change. Starting is the hardest part, and you’ve already done that! Keep a record of your goals as you hit them for times when you need a boost.
Stay Positive!
Keeping a positive mindset is easier said than done, but it’s the key to keeping motivated when things seem tough.
Find something that makes you happy - whether it’s reading, listening to a podcast, catching up with friends - and find ways to build this into your schedule on a regular basis to keep your mood up and your stress down. This doesn’t have to be fitness related, just make sure it relaxes you.
Conclusion
Keep these tips and tricks in mind whenever you feel your motivation levels drop off. You’re already a quarter of the way through the 12 Week Challenge, so keep up the good work and you’ll be hitting your goals in no time!