Why Getting Healthy is a Mental Game (and not a Physical one)
In 2019, in was entering my early 30s.
So I decided “It’s time to settle on the optimal workout. Something I can do for the rest of my life.”
I did my research.
I studied what my body would need in my 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond.
I made my workout plan
It took me 3 weeks of intense research, but I had finally come up with my perfect health plan FOR LIFE!
What ended up happening?
I Had a Plan… and then… I got bored of it
Once I had everything, I set it into action.
And it worked!
For 2 months, I was working out ever day. I was eating great. I was sleeping well. I had a solid routine going for me.
But slowly and surely…
… I started to miss a day or two
… I would lose interest in my meals
… Things started to get harder to stick to
After another 3 weeks, I had completely abandoned the program
Ultimately, what killed my routine was not the program (that program was so good!)
It was failing to account for how I would deal with the program both mentally and emotionally.
Understand Your Mental Patterns to Build Health
These mental blind spots can derail your health routine when left unchecked.
Fortunately, they are common patterns that I see over and over again in everyone who works on their health.
Over the years, I’ve taken notice of the common ones.
Do you recognize yourself in any of these?
Are you The Perfectionist?
The Symptom: The Perfectionist has a grand vision for their health. They make plans and strategies. They want everything to be optimized (this is me!)
But in the end, the perfectionist is unrealistic about where they need to start to work on their health. They want to get healthy as quickly as possible.
And in the end, they get easily frustrated when they aren’t making progress as quickly as they want.
The Solution: Start with the simplest possible routine– a minimum viable program
Learn to assess what your body and health truly needs today (and not just what your ideal is.) Start small, celebrate wins, and make progress that way.
Are you The Over-thinker?
The Symptom: The Over-thinker is smart, but also cautious. When they exercise they are CONSTANTLY worrying about their body.
- Am I doing this correctly?
- Should I go faster or slower?
- Should I eat more or less?
- Am I doing this right?
- What if I hurt myself?
They worry too much, and that anxiety paralyzes them from taking action.
The Solution: Practice taking action despite your doubts and fears; Remember that you are striking a BALANCE between being safe and cautious but also exploring, playing, and enjoying your health.
There is no guarantee that you will never get hurt, or that you won’t make a mistake.
But you can only learn this by trying things out, not sitting and over analyzing!
Are you Stuck in the Past?
The Symptom: This happens a lot to ex-athletes, but shows up for anyone as they continue to age. The common thoughts is:
“I was so much stronger, healthier, thinner, faster (whatever) before. I’ll never be able to get my body back to where it was when I was younger”
ALL they can think about is comparing themselves to their past selves (and even other people). They fear failure, and not being able to make progress.
The Solution: Practice embracing your new identity. Remember, it is not a competition (whether with others or yourself). Try something completely new and completely out of your comfort zone, and that can give you that fresh start effect.
…This List is Just Getting Started
Do you feel like you’re not on this list?
There are a few more big ones that I’ve not yet shared. Identifying your mental traps is the first step, and it can be hard when you’ve been stuck in your health for so long.
It’s rare for a single person to notice their own health traps (that’s why a coach can help)
Once you know your mental traps, step two is overcoming them.
It’s saying “Hey, being a perfectionism is not helpful for my health, and if I can break this pattern, then I would be able to do xyz today.”
Understanding and overcoming your blind spots is THE secret to building up sustainable health. And it can offer you more progress than any ‘hack’ or ‘tactic’ could ever accomplish.