The Starting Point
I was burnt out & stuck.
I felt helpless, alone, and pissed at myself for feeling helpless & alone. I knew what to do – eat right & exercise. Simple.
So then why did everything feel like such effort and why couldn’t I get the results I wanted? What I really wanted was the body of an athlete on the budget of a student with about as much time as every other busy person in the world trying to do it all.
It took years of my own research to piece together the information that finally pulled me out of mindless effort and into mindful flow.
Holistic approaches to fitness were little satellites to the mainstream industry around the time I started suffering from panic attacks and debilitating anxiety.
At the time, I was a full-time student & part-time personal trainer studying everything to do with fitness and health. I trained with intensity and ‘never’ ate junk food, yet I was tired, unhappy, & in a constant battle with my weight and body image.
As a result, my self esteem was non-existent. This made me even more frustrated. My anxiety worsened, my feelings of desperation escalated & the cycle continued.
Thankfully, I also stubbornly wanted to feel better & was willing to try anything.
One of the keys for me (along with many other pieces of the HolisticDPT picture) were the radical shifts in mindset that I will share below.
Most of these shifts were focused around my health, fitness but I can genuinely say the impact trickles into all areas of my life.
The Turning Point
Slowly but consistently, trying a number of different things, making many mistakes and failing a lot along the way, I caught glimpses of what my life could be like.
Not only did this manifest as a healthier & leaner body, but my skin changed, my energy was better and my mood elevated.
As cliche as it sounds, I felt like the person trapped underneath was finally being uncovered. I felt courageous & confident enough to really own and be myself for the first time.
What changed?
There was no magic supplement, training program, diet or pair of high waisted leggings behind my shift.
It all started with a whole-person approach to my fitness. Up until then, my sole focus was the physical – food and exercise.
Shifting my mindset & how I thought about things set the stage for a happier & more healthful version of me. I felt I could finally release my grip on getting everything perfect and actually LIVE my life.
Where to Begin
If you’re on your own journey of resetting your mindset, I’m proud of you for taking the first step & showing up here with me. Many people won’t even get this far*.
It’s not easy.
You will fail & fall back into old habits & patterns as I did many, many times. You will ditch the practice when life gets tough and pick it up again when you’re ready. That’s all part of it.
Just like it took time to develop the thought processes that make you feel stuck, it will take some time and practice to create new ones. Don’t let that deter you because the end results are SO worth it!
*Sometimes, we can’t go about these things alone. If you’re struggling with your mental health or feeling hopeless, PLEASE seek the guidance of a licensed mental health professional. I’ve shared some mental health resources on my page here.
Trust the Process
Start by lovingly taking an unfiltered & radically honest look at yourself like I did.
Trading defensiveness with curiosity.
Instead of “This is just the way I am.” try “I wonder why I am this way?”
Trade perfection with a commitment to giving everything a shot.
Instead of “I can’t avoid sugar forever! how will I have a LIFE?” try “Let’s see what happens when I cut back on sugar for a bit & figure out some alternatives”
People are so individual that NOTHING can be written off when it comes to your health and happiness.
Like your favorite pair of black leggings, it took a few try-ons & duds before you found the one you wanted to live in.
Health and wellness is no different.
Realize that you are the ONLY thing that has ever stood between you and the life/habits/body/confidence – & really, ANYTHING you’ve ever wanted.
Instead of “I can’t afford to eat like that.” Try “What are some ways I can eat to support my goals that fit my budget”
Instead of “I don’t have time for that” Try “What am I prioritizing over my health?”
You’ve got nothing to lose. The worst that happens is you try some new things and your routine gets a little spice for a while.
Mindset Reset
Sticking Point #1
Sabotaging Yourself
Unhealthy coping mechanisms for stress & pain were sabotaging my health and fitness goals because I had zero awareness around these parts of my life.
While there is nothing inherently unhealthy in any one of these behaviors, the issue lies in the excess and the perceived loss of control.
A couple of examples of self-sabotaging through coping mechanisms that may sound familiar are:
Emotional eating / food restriction
Excessive alcohol or drug use
Escapism through television, social media, video games etc.
What helped me:
An intentional increase in self awareness around these behaviours & learning my “triggers”.
Finding other outlets for stress and pain.
Seeking a licensed mental health professional when I couldn’t find the answers or overcome challenges by myself.
Sticking Point #2
Too Many Stressors
Stress leads to a rise in cortisol which in turn can lead things like brain fog, increased abdominal fat, bloating, and difficulty focusing.
Read more about what the American Institute of Stress has to say about stress and abdominal fat here.
Managing your physical, mental and emotional stressors can help keep you energized and motivated.
It’s important to note that our bodies cannot differentiate between “good” and “bad” stress.
Your phone’s notifications, drama at work, the general busy-ness of life, continuous high intensity exercise, & lack of high quality sleep all add to an increase in cortisol in our bodies.
In small doses, this cortisol is normal and the body clears it efficiently. However, if we’re not resting enough or managing our stress effectively, our bodies stay in ‘fight or flight’ mode. This in turn leads to a low-level of chronic inflammation in our bodies which leads to MORE physical manifestations such as fatigue, mood changes, hormonal disruptions and more.
What helped me:
Turning phone notifications off for social media and email.
Getting comfortable with saying “no” to protect my energy and avoid overcommitting.
Being intentional with self care and wind-down time. When I was working 3 jobs and studying for the NPTE, I carved out time where I could to disconnect from life & just breathe. – even for just 5 minutes.
Not being afraid to take a rest day. One day of rest will not ruin your progress just like one workout won’t make you an Olympian.
Sticking Point # 3
Avoiding Discomfort
Exercise is uncomfortable. Stress is uncomfortable. Low self esteem is uncomfortable. Anxiety is uncomfortable. Having honest conversations with people is uncomfortable.
But, did you die?
I started asking myself this question because panic attacks literally made me feel like I was dying.
I’d get dizzy, light-headed, I would get pseudo-vertigo where it felt like I was falling down, my heart would race, my chest would tighten & I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
I’d be so afraid of this feeling that I began associating any discomfort with an impending panic attack.
Exercising, eating healthy & having healthy outlets for stress all require discomfort because they all require effort and taking ownership of our health. The decisions we make also require a level of discomfort because they aren’t always the easiest choices to make.
The easy thing is rarely going to get you closer to your goals (if it did, everyone would be doing it!).
HolisticDPT
That’s why we practice getting uncomfortable through adopting these healthy habits and following through with them consistently (even if we don’t want to).
What helped me:
Reading up on the physiological process of a panic attack & the adrenaline release. I told myself to ride the wave & surrender to the 10-15 minutes of discomfort.
Waking up early to exercise before work or carving out time to journal required a level of discipline and discomfort for me. It is MUCH more comfortable to watch a movie and then go straight to bed after dinner. Although the actual physical discomfort is minimal compared to the mental discomfort, it was enough to make me think twice a few times before my habits solidifed.
Living the mindset: What is this teaching me? Instead of why is this happening to me? Often with anxiety, I’d be able to identify something I’d been neglecting in my life. For example, over-caffeinating, not sleeping enough, avoiding an uncomfortable conversation.
Sticking Point #4:
Overthinking
Do you have a body? and 10 minutes?
Great, then you can move it.
Do less worrying about what routine you should follow, what clothes you should wear, what x fitness guru says about y and where the jiggly bits are gonna end up if you *gasP?!* try something new.
What helped me
In 2020, I committed myself to 10,000 steps a day regardless of what my fitness routine is like.
Getting rid of my “all or nothing” mentality. For example, having a donut did not then springboard me into a week of fast food. I had the donut, loved every minute then continued my healthful lifestyle with no guilt.
Recognizing any movement is good movement. We tend to think of exercise as the formal version of it but dancing, cleaning, walking, playing with your fur babies or real babies, that’s all movement!
The best exercise is the one that you will enjoy and you will stick to. Everything else is just fine print.
me to every client ever.
Once you’re moving consistently then find some routines you like, hire a coach, get a program and get more detailed.
Looking for customized 1:1 guidance?
Click Below to book a free consult with me to talk about YOUR sticking points and how I can help you move past them, once and for all!
Schedule Appointment
If you struggle to stick with your health commitments for longer than a couple of months, chances are you’re overthinking something.
And, side note, you can google ANYTHING. It’s kinda scary.
Sticking Point #5:
Not Having Enough Time
This is one hundred percent a mindset and prioritization issue most of the time. (See notes under Sticking Point #1.)
You will find time for anything you deem valuable and important. This very well may change with whatever season of life you’re in.
But, if health & fitness is your goal and what you’re really working on then there’s no easy way around it – you have to prioritize it!
If you quite literally just cannot find time, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the things you do give your time to and if those things truly bring you joy.
(I’m not telling you how to live your life.)
But, I think YOU are valuable and important so can’t you find a few minutes to show yourself love and do something good for your body? (which, incidentally will be amazing for your mind & soul!)
What helped me
Heard this on a podcast once: When you find yourself thinking or saying “I don’t have time for that right now”, try the same thing with “I’m not prioritizing that in my life right now” and see how it makes you feel. If it doesn’t feel good then maybe there’s some deeper investigating to be done there.
What’s your biggest takeaway?
I hope by sharing my story you’ll get to learn from my revelations and consider a different perspective in your own journey. These are purely my opinions and anecdotes.
Take what resonates with you and leave the rest.
As always, I would LOVE to connect with you. Find me on any of the socials below and don’t forget to tag me @holisticDPT so I can share some internet love!
