Work With Yourself, Not Against Yourself

Ever noticed when you decide to start a new exercise or diet you suddenly forget everything about yourself?

“I barely get to work on time, but starting Monday, I’m going to get up at 5 am and start running.”

“Never followed a strict diet for more than three days, but this month I’m doing Whole 30.”

You’ve done it, I’ve done it. We all have grand expectations, but we forget one thing. We forget who we are. Instead of trying to work with 40+ years of ingrained habits, we decide to completely go against them. And then we wonder why we fail.

Our natural rhythms, how we process things, and relate to people don’t disappear just because we decide to do something new.

After 56 years, I know that mornings are not my best time. I can make grown men quake in their shoes when I first get up. After a couple of hours, I’m good, but first thing in the morning is not a good time for me to plan anything involving people. I know this about myself and plan accordingly. So does Scott, bless his very patient heart.

We all have natural tendencies, and we are all creatures of habit. We also love to jump on the latest diet and exercise bandwagon. I mean, if it worked for our friend’s aunt’s 22-year-old cousin who has unlimited time and resources, surely it will work for a 45-year-old peri-menopausal mom with three teenagers, a full-time job, who also takes care of her aging parents.

See what I mean? We have to take into account who we are at our core and also present circumstances (which are always changing).

Who are you? What are your strong points and weaknesses? What about current habits, good and bad? These are things you need to figure out to be successful, not only for your health, but for your overall life.

Tips to Work With Yourself

Know Your Personality

Are you an introvert or extrovert? You may need a very social fitness class or you might be more happy with solitary runs in the wee hours of the morning. Do you need variety? Are you spontaneous or a planner? What are your favorite foods? Start making a list and use the information to help you form plans.

Use Your Natural Rhythms

What time of day are you most alert? When are you dragging? Use these times to your advantage. It’s not always possible because of work schedules, kids, etc., but when you can, choose workout times to coincide with your energy patterns. This also goes for times you need to be most productive. I know that any work or study is almost impossible for me between the hours of 2-4 pm. Don’t fight your body’s flow, go with it.

Build on Existing Habits

Starting new habits is a whole lot easier when you just tack it on to an already ingrained habit. Such as: While waiting on the microwave or coffee pot, do stretches or squats. Easy to remember and doesn’t take up any more time in your day.

Be Realistic

Stop kidding yourself! If you are already stretched to the limit because of obligations, saying you’re going to add an hour of exercise a day just isn’t feasible. Work with your current schedule (see the suggestion above). You may want to cook all your meals at home and make everything from scratch, but you only have time for sandwiches and microwave meals at work. It may not be ideal, but this is life. Be adaptable and do the best you can with where you are right now.

Keep Things Simple

I will say this till I’m blue in the face. (I’m also one of the worst for trying to do this.) Keep changes small and simple. Don’t set yourself up for failure with a complete overhaul. Rarely works. Pick one or two things, modify if necessary, and be consistent.

We are all different, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for anything. There are a lot of good ideas and programs out there, but if they don’t fit who you are right now, they are worthless. Stop trying to force yourself into a mold that wasn’t made for you. When you start working with your natural habits and tendencies, that’s when you will start to see success. It will still be work and may be uncomfortable at times, but it will feel much more doable and less stressful.

What are your thoughts? How are you working with your mind and body, or how will you start? I would love to hear from you!

Stay well, my friends.

Alicia