AS A HEALTH AND FITNESS PROFESSIONAL WHO’S HELPED COUNTLESS CLIENTS OVER THE YEARS, AND SOMEONE PERSONALLY WHO HAS STRUGGLED WITH FOOD/SUGAR FOR YEARS, I SEE LOCK-DOWN AS A TOUGH TIME TO BATTLE OLD OR NEW ADDICTIONS. 

THIS INCLUDES MYSELF. LET’S START BY CALLING THESE ADDICTIONS HABITS.

BIG CHANGES BRING HABIT CHANGES

OUR LIVES LOST THEIR RHYTHM ROUGHLY 6 WEEKS AGO, WITH UNCERTAINTY AND STRESS… AND SLIPPING UP WITH OLD OR NEW BAD HABITS IS SOON TO FOLLOW. 

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN AN INCREASE IN? ME PERSONALLY, SCREEN TIME HAS INCREASED, FAST FOOD HAS INCREASED, CARBS (ALL OF THEM) HAVE INCREASED. 

OTHER CLIENTS AND FRIENDS I’VE SEEN A BIG CHANGE IN ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, SOME HAVE TAKEN TO CHIPS OR CHOCOLATE HABITS, SOME STOPPING EXERCISE ROUTINES AND SOME FALLING OFF THE FITNESS WAGON AND HITTING SUGARY SWEETS. 

WE’VE LOST STRUCTURE TO OUR DAYS: WE DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE ANYWHERE, NEED TO GET DRESSED OR EVEN BRUSH OUR HAIR IF WE DON’T WANT. OUR SOCIAL ASPECTS AND NORMS OF OUR LIVES HAVE TEMPORARILY CHANGED. 

DESTRUCTIVE HABITS CAN COME IN MANY RECOGNIZABLE FORMS; I’M SURE WE WOULD ALL 1ST THINK OF ALCOHOL, SMOKING, LEGAL AND ILLEGAL DRUGS. TECHNOLOGY, GAMING, LAZINESS AND SUGAR COULD BE OTHERS, THE LIST CAN GO ON AND ON. ALL HAVING SHORT OR LONG TERM EFFECTS ON OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. 

I FEEL WE ALL HAVE POSITIVE HABIT SLIPPAGE AT THE MOMENT AND LOCK-DOWN IS SHOWING US THE BEST AND WORST ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE DEAL WITH STRESS. 

HABITUAL CHANGE 

A KEY TO YOUR/MY AND OTHERS AROUND US CHANGING HABITS FROM NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE IS SIMPLE, BUT NOT EASY. 

EVER NOTICED YOUR NEGATIVE HABITS ARE HARDER TO BREAK? WHAT ABOUT STARTING A NEW HABIT? HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SAID MY ‘INSERT HABIT’ STARTS MONDAY………….

MY LIFE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS AS A FITNESS PROFESSIONAL AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL HAS LED ME TO COME UP WITH MY OWN ACRONYM FOR THE SUBJECT ON HABITS- CET (SEE BELOW) 

CHILDHOOD– OUR HABITS AND BEHAVIOR THAT ARE INGRAINED COME FROM CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. GREW UP IN A POOR TOWN IN THE 80’S WHERE DRINKING AT A YOUNG AGE HAPPENED? A NEGATIVE HABIT FORMED THAT WILL BE HARD TO BREAK AND CONTROL.

ENVIRONMENT- WORK IN AN OFFICE WITH 20 OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE PEOPLE WHERE CAKES, TREATS AND FAST FOOD ARE THE NORM? IT’S REALLY TOUGH BEING THE ODD ONE OUT (CHOOSING HEALTHY FOOD AND EXERCISE) WHEN THE ‘SOCIAL NORMS’ CONSIST OF BAD HABITS.

TRIGGERS– VISUAL TRIGGERS- I WAKE UP EACH DAY AND AS I’M MAKING MY COFFEE I POUR A GLASS OF WATER FROM THE FRIDGE, THIS TRIGGERS ME TO SEE MY OMEGA 3 CAPSULES AND DRINK MY BERRIES & GREENS. A POSITIVE HABIT. I BELIEVE IF WE CAN CULTIVATE, MANAGE AND HAVE MORE POSITIVE HABITS THAN NEGATIVE HABITS WE WILL STAY HEALTHY AND STAY ON A GOOD PATH. 

A CLIENT OF OURS LOVES CHIPS. SHE HAS A ROUGH DAY, GOES FOR THE CHIPS, WHICH LEAD TO CHOCOLATE THEN ROSE WINE. CUE HABIT STACKING 

HABIT STACKING IS SOMETHING I LEARNED FROM ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS ATOMIC HABITS-POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE HABITS STACK ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. WHEN YOU WAKE YOU DO X, WHICH REMINDS YOU TO Y. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.

I REALIZED A PROFOUND THOUGHT IN THE LAST YEAR OF READING MORE SELF DEVELOPMENT/STOICISM/PSYCHOLOGY THAN I EVER HAVE- I’M NOT A FITNESS COACH. 

I’M A HABITS COACH AND BEHAVIOR COACH.

HAVING THE SEXIEST, MOST COMPLEX TRAINING PROGRAM FROM SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING COMPANIES AND COACHES OUT THERE IS USELESS RIGHT NOW. 

IT’S USELESS IF YOU OR OUR CLIENTS CAN’T CONSISTENTLY FORM POSITIVE HABITS AND GET ON A ROLL. WE NEED TO FIRST RECOGNIZE AND ADMIT TO OURSELVES WE’VE SLIPPED. THEN KNOW HOW TO RESET, NOT BEAT YOURSELF UP WHEN YOU SLIP. 

IF WE’RE HONEST AND OPEN WITH OURSELVES, WE ALL SLIP, WE ALL FAIL, YET FAILURE AND ADVERSITY ARE GREAT TEACHERS. 

HERE’S A GREAT QUOTE TO CHEW ON:

“WE THOUGHT GRAVITY WAS THE GREATEST FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE, UNTIL WE CREATED MOMENTUM”

KEEP BUILDING GOOD HABITS, EVEN WHEN YOU SLIP, FALL OF THE WAGON, AND FAIL. DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF. DUST YOURSELF OFF, SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVE PEOPLE, PRACTICE GRATITUDE FOR THE MANY AMAZING THINGS WE HAVE IN OUR LIVES, AND LAST- HELP OTHERS.

FIND YOURSELF A COACH THAT CAN UNDERSTAND AND NOT JUDGE WHEN YOU FALL OFF THE WAGON. WHO CAN SET SOME BASIC ACTION STEPS AND KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE. 

WE ALL NEED A COACH, I HAVE MANY.

WE ALL NEED MENTORS, I HAVE 1 I PAY FOR AND MANY OTHERS THAT I ADMIRE AND FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF.

IF YOU CAN’T SEEM TO HIT YOUR GOALS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY ARE AND WANT HELP, REACH OUT AND BOOK A FREE INTRO.

IN HEALTH 

COACH JULIE