Program Type: Mind/Body
Trainers: Emma Black
This is a seven-week, community-based goal setting group in which participants will meet weekly with their trainers via Zoom to create fitness goals and have a cup of coffee or tea. Participants will work closely with their trainers and other participants to learn about SMART goals, behavior change, overcoming barriers, accountability, and more. This program is great for participants who would like a more community-based approach to achieving your independent fitness goals or supplementing other virtual group training programs.
Motivation
Motivation Starts with Action
Motivation is an action, not a feeling. Most of us have said “I don’t feel motivated to complete this task, and we may wait around for hours or days before we feel motivated, but oftentimes that feeling never comes. Or if it does come, it’s fleeting. This is because action is the predecessor for motivation, AKA action comes first motivation comes second. This is why my best tip for motivation is to just do something. Anything is better than nothing, even if that means dedicating five minutes out of your day to workout or add to that project you started. Sometimes just that five minutes, is enough to get you going and you’ll find yourself working out for 30 minutes instead!
Takeaway Advice:
- Action leads to motivation which leads to more motivation.
- Instead of: “I need to feel motivated and then I’ll take action.”
- Try this: “I need to take action, and then I’ll feel motivated.”
- Start small: Anything is better than nothing. If that means taking 5 minutes out of your busiest day to contribute to your goal then so be it.
- Break your big projects into smaller tasks. Find ways to break down your biggest goals into smaller and less overwhelming goals.
- For example, if your goal is to eat a more nutritious diet, choose one or two specific substitutes you can add or subtract from your meals for that week. Get specific when breaking up your big goals into smaller more manageable goals!
Positive Affirmation
What is a positive affirmation?
A positive phrase or statement used to challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts.
Takeaway Advice:
- How do I do that?
- Come up with a positive phrase. You can say this in your head, out loud, or write it down.
- Examples: "I am determined and I can accomplish what I set out to achieve" "I am loved" "My anxiety doesn't control my life" "I am capable" "I am on a journey, ever growing and developing"
- To have impact on your self-esteem, your affirmations should be positively focused and targeted at actions you can use to reinforce your sense of identity.
- Use your strengths or things you consider important to guide your affirmations.
- Is there even science behind that?
- Yes, there is science behind them. Positive affirmations are based on widely accepted and well-established psychological theory. Self-affirmation theory (Steele, 1988).
- The most important thing for them being beneficial is consistency.
- What are the benefits?
- Positive affirmations can help us respond in a less defensive and resistant way when we're presented with threats.
- Positive affirmations have been shown to help with the tendency to linger on negative experiences (Weisenfeld et al., 2001).
- When we are able to deal with negative messages and replace them with positive statements, we can construct more adaptive, hopeful narratives about who we are and what we can accomplish.
Reward System
A reinforcement system of positive behavioral change.
Takeaway Advice:
- Pair your goal with something enjoyable.
- For example: Work out and listen to your favorite podcast. Pamper yourself! A hot bath, paint your nails, watch Netflix, read a book, etc.
- Self-care should be practiced even if you did not meet your goal.
- Alcohol and substances are not rewards.
- It can feel good to practice self-care/rewards once you have accomplished your goal.
- BUT: Restricting yourself should not be practiced. This will damage your relationship with your goal, reward, and yourself.
- Reward yourself for what you've done! But remember not to punish yourself.
- Remember: Rest, food, and sleep are not rewards. They're necessities.
Stages of Change
- Pre-Contemplation: No intention of changing the behavior. You might not realize a change needs to happen.
- Contemplation: Aware that a problem exists, but there is no commitment to action that will lead to the desired behavior change.
- Preparation: Intent to take action and address the problem. You are convinced the change is good, and start to believe in yourself.
- Action: Active modification of the behavior. You are taking action to make a change.
- Maintenance: Sustained change where new behaviors replace old ones. New behavior becomes routine as you work to sustain the behavior change.
- Relapse: Fall back into old patterns of behavior. Relapse is okay. Change is a cycle and the process is not linear.
- Upward Spiral: Learn from each relapse. Every time you go through the stages of change, you will grow stronger and relapse will be shorter and less harmful.