Whats stopping you?
There are psychological barriers that you might not even be aware of!
There are so many physical and practical obstacles for many of us that delay or obstruct us from getting started towards a goal.
But there are also psychological barriers, that can sometimes be as obstructive physical barriers, and oftentimes they are actually harder to overcome. Here are a few examples:
Perfectionism causing paralysis.
Fear of judgment.
Overwhelm.
Fear of failure.
Distraction.
Below we’ll explore how you could approach these 5 barriers that might be holding you back from getting started and staying consistent with healthful behaviours including training and eating a balanced diet.
the good news is... you don;t have to go it alone.
Perfectionism causing paralysis (AKA ALL OR NOTHING) So many of us wait for the perfect time to get started with a gym/healthful eating routine.
The reality: is that there is never a perfect time, and often the longer you wait, the more diluted the desire to get started will be and the more obstacles you will find.
Remember: that a healthful lifestyle is not actually ‘perfect’. The most healthful approach to life in including a balance of the things that are traditionally boxed as ‘healthy’ and things that you enjoy!
A gym routine does not have to be 5 days a week, hell for leather each time. It could be 1-3 quality training sessions that meet your current levels of fitness and gently push your boundaries.
And healthful eating, well the old saying of ‘everything in moderation’ really doesn’t go far wrong. Yes, we need to be hitting adequate protein, including as many different colours of fruit & veg, and ensuring we get enough fibre, BUT we do not have to restrict all other things that we enjoy, we just need to be mindful of the frequency and volumes we consume of them.
does this sound like you? we can show you how we support out rise members with these exact barriers
Fear of judgment Perhaps you’re worried that other people will think you’re unfit? Or that they’ll be passing judgment on your physique? Or that other people from your social circles will judge you for going to the gym or for eating in a more mindful manner?
The reality: most people in a gym are far too conscious of themselves to be passing judgment on anyone else. And if you’re in a group environment where you’re conscious of your fitness levels, we’d like to bet that those other individuals are cheering you on, not judging you for your fitness level.
Remember: your reason why. We’re willing to bet, that if you were to have a strong sense of WHY you want to include a certain behaviour [maybe you want to build strength to be able carry your child to bed, maybe you want to feel fitter so that you’re not out of breath when you’re on a walk with friends, or you want to improve your chances of living a long, independent life] and then being able to recall that sense of why on a daily basis, then that would have an impact on how much judgment you fear for carrying out that behaviour.
Overwhelm Maybe the journey ahead looks and feels too big.
The reality: it might well be a long road ahead, but starting now means that you are one step closer.
Remember: breaking down your goal into smaller, more achievable chunks is a great way to get started. It can help you to take the first step. That could be, booking an induction at your chosen gym or a call with a coach. Or it could be creating a shopping list that has more of the healthful food choices on it so that they are in your house.
Fear of failure Perhaps you’re concerned that you won’t ‘see this through’, maybe you have tried in the past to build more healthful habits into your routine, and they didn’t stick. [this is usually a combination of habits being too extreme, or being attempted in too close succession OR life happened and once derailed you struggled to ‘get back on track’].
The reality: finding an approach that is not going to upside down your current lifestyle, but rather gently nurture you to move towards habits and routines that feel right for you will be much less scary to start, and are much more likely to stick.
Remember: And even if you do ‘fail’, so what? You start again, maybe with a different approach. We think that reframing your ‘failure’ to your ‘lesson’ will likely help you to see every undulation of life as an opportunity to grow rather than beat yourself up for going off course. Use the information you gather about yourself to inform your next move!
you're so much more likely to be consistent with proper coaching & support
Distraction There is a lot of conflicting advice out there. You may get sidetracked and think that switching the training style or nutrition guidance you’re currently following will yield better results.
The reality: maybe switching would be beneficial if you are noticing that your current routine leaves much to be desired… BUT maybe sticking with a routine full of healthful habits for long enough would also give you great results [we’re talking months not weeks].
Remember: often we don’t see the results of effective training and mindful nutrition for several months. You will likely feel the difference sooner than you see it, and you may have to try and let go of scale weight as your measure of success [this is a whole topic in and of itself]. Just because something is shiny and new, doesn’t mean it will be a better approach for you!