3 Ways Being Distracted Is Impeding Your Fitness

Is your distraction partly to blame for your unmet fitness and wellness goals? Did you know…

• The average American checks their email 30 times an hour.

• 70 percent of people said emails have a negative effect on their quality of work.

• The average American checks their phone 150 times per day.

• The majority (75 percent) of Americans blame digital notifications for their lack of focus at work.

• Our attention span is down to 8 secs in 2021, which is down from 12 seconds in 2000.

The more “plugged in” we are, the less capable we are to concentrate or to immerse in open and clear conversation with someone. The diet and weight loss industry is a 60 billion dollar plus industry. Why do you think that is? So many get distracted with their plan and move to the latest trend. Thankfully, the boutique gym industry thrived during the pandemic, yet also sales of at-home equipment skyrocketed. Yay, America is getting motivated for wellness! Our brains are more wired now toward novelty, so much that novelty is an addiction. A new website to surf, a ping notifying us of a new text, or an upcoming meeting are partly to blame. Our brains are becoming accustomed to not paying close attention.

As I continue to build out a robust new corporate wellness program designed specifically to help teams “transition back to the office,” now more than ever, there is a growing need to create a wellness culture. Email me directly if you know an organization that could use some help at contact@alexandriawellness.com. The more stressed our brains are from the constant distraction, the less capable we are of focusing on our wellness. In that distracted state, we may spend more time searching for the answer to your fitness needs, finding a new trend, or a new diet. Thinking that “this time” will work than actually focusing on strategies you know that work, like walks, mindfulness, water, and sleep.

Let’s face it, constant distraction is holding many of us back from reaching our fitness and wellness goals. Here is what happens when you are living in a perpetual state of distraction:

• You are chronically stressed. Stress has a direct impact on your sleep and makes you even more distracted and frustrated the next day.

• You bounce from diet program to diet program seeking the answer. I know food is the topic our concierge and small group members want to discuss. They’re confused or looking for something - novelty - they haven’t heard before.

• You don’t prioritize the small, everyday habits which can help you reach your fitness and wellness goals. Getting up from your desk once every 30 minutes, standing on one leg while you brush your teeth, and reserving “treats” for special occasions will reap greater rewards than that one-hour fitness class in which you don’t participate.

I realize these are all really big issues and are tough to take on in a day or a 30 day challenge. Instead, make the decision to lead your days focusing on one thing at a time. Fill your days with micro breaks for breath work and meditation. Calm the cortisol - calm the stress. Sign up here for my newsletter at www.alexandriawellness.com or email me directly about your company’s needs for wellness help during the transition.