Simple motivation tricks on how to keep you living a healthy balanced life.
Do you find it hard to stick to your health goals? We asked our customers and experts in health psychology and behavioural change scientist.
Staying motivated to stick to healthier habits is hard and challenging. How often have we started out with the best intentions, being really motivated at the start only to slowly drop off to bad habits? So what is the secret to staying healthy?
In a recent survey or our customer, 50% of respondents said they had tried setting health goals, but it did not last long. Setting up a health goal has to be realistic and fit in with your lifestyle. Be specific with what that health goal will be.
For example, If you plan to introduce more physical activeness as your health goal, it would help to write down the specifics of that goal. You may want to set this goal as a routine. Behaviours scientist believe, creating consistent routines, will form a habit, It will be easier to continue the health goal when it is a habit. For example let’s say you set a health goal to walk 30 minutes every day. Now build it into the routine of your everyday life. When and where can you fit the 30 minutes to walk in your busy schedule?
PREPARE FOR MOTIVATIONAL DIPS
Even with your best intentions, we all know there are day we just lack the time or motivation to complete our health goals and we come up with a convincing excuse not to do it. In such instances think about the barriers you are facing and analyse why you are making an excuse not to complete your health goal.
Many of our customers said rainy days and the monsoon weather lowers their motivation to complete and stay on track with your health goal. If this is a challenge you are facing, behaviour scientist suggest, swapping your 30 minute walk to a physical activity that eliminates walking outdoors in damp rainy weather. Think what can you swap your 30 minute walk with? Perhaps doing yoga, dancing, and indoor sports?
Some of our customers responded by saying no matter what the weather, we walk to Pintos to buy our Kokum Pani, so that is our exercise. Making this a routine helps you keep motivated and it becomes a habit that you will not break even if the weather is not great.
On day when your motivation is down and you are feeling low, perhaps telling yourself, “Ok, let’s just walk for 10 minutes instead of the 30 minutes” Once you are out and started on your walk, you will be surprised, 10 minutes will pass and you will continue walking and stay on track for your health goal.
The most important point to remember is not to skip the activity altogether, somehow, do the activity in some form or other. There by making it a habit you will not break.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT MOTIVATES YOU
Focus on the why you are setting yourself these health goals. Important questions to ask yourself, what do you value most in life?
Behaviour psychologist agree that motivation in individual fluctuate over time. When you are having one of those down days where your motivation has plummeted to a sink hole, remind yourself of those questions. Why you set these health goals and what do you value.
ADOPT HEALTHY EATING HABITS
This can be challenging, especially since high fat and high sugar foods are so readily available and accessible, giving in to our food cravings is easy.
Psychologist say: “cravings have a visual element. So we see a food, we imagine ourselves eating it”. By removing tempting unhealthy foods from your home, you are less likely to fall into this trap. Secondly keeping healthy foods visible where you have easy access to it, will help you choose healthier options.
If you have a really favourite snack that you love and cannot resist, why not find a healthy alternative for it. For example if you love fizzy pop sugary drinks like cola, why not swap it for a bottle of Pintos Kokum Pani. Keep it in the fridge exactly where you would have kept your cola bottle, that way when you are tempted to get a drink, you will make a healthier choice.
Ditching long standing unhealthy habits is hard. But if you replace it with a healthier options, you can help to break the connection to bad, unhealthy foods more easily.
Remember build good habits. You are more likely to keep up with habits that you enjoy and make you feel good about yourself.
Let us know how you get on. Has this helped you achieve your health goals and stay on track? Share your success with us, use the hashtag #pintoskokumpani on your social media.
Together let’s make life healthier.