Forming New Habits: “Be stronger than your excuses.”
Congratulations! You made it through what seemed like the longest winter in recorded in history. We’re in to the third week of March and it looks like spring may be trying to take hold. The sun's out, temperatures are rising, and flowers (and allergies!) are starting to bloom. A brand new season brings optimism, so it is a perfect time to take inventory of what you wanted to accomplish in 2019.
Regardless of whether or not you went through the formal ritual of making a New Year's resolution, it’s not too late to start making changes for the better. And those changes don’t have to be all about getting fit. Maybe you want to manage your money better, reduce stress, spend more time with the kids, start a new career, or make other changes to your daily habits that will improve your mental, physical and/or spiritual well-being.
“Be stronger than your excuses.”
I’ve found through my conversations with people interested in our Alexandria Wellness Concierge Wellness Program that the number one obstacle people have is how to form new habits – habits that stick. For good. The key is to be more open about your intention, drawing in partners and family members to hold yourself accountable, and definitely definitely definitely plan for those barriers that will step in the way of solidifying that new habit.
Tips to make sure habits become permanent
- Start with mindset and new language, even just the language you use with yourself. Use powerful verbs like “I commit” or “I am going to succeed” rather than “I will try” or “I won’t ever get there."
- Consistently remind yourself that you are committed to your new habit, not just at the beginning of the week or in the morning. We all know the beloved witching hour in the afternoon when we feel like we may eat our fist. Plan for it. Push the hunger because it may be a craving. Or, have a healthy snack ready and available. Or, better yet, walk around the office or block. Habit scientists say a distraction from the regular routine is key to achieving your new habit.
- Consciously imagine – even write down how you visualized – how you will feel, look, smell, and what you will hear when you’ve effectively implemented your goal.
- Make a plan. If you have a misstep or setback, don’t beat yourself up. You probably just learned a lesson and can adjust your approach to your plan.
“I want to look and feel more like my past self.”
Changing habits is not easy. One of the reasons it’s not easy is because many things, not just one, may be influencing the bad habit(s) you want to change. And for most of us, self-reflection is the first hurdle to get over. When we become super aware of the “cues” or “triggers” for our barriers, or even our habits that don’t contribute to our wellness, we are better equipped to replace them with healthy habits.So, how do you identify what you need to change in order to improve your well being?This is where the Alexandria Wellness Concierge Wellness Program can help. We have a few different packages based on where you’re starting, yet the fundamental basis of the program is to help you form better habits, improve your mindset, achieve a higher level of fitness, and take your state of wellness to new heights.
How does the Alexandria Wellness program do all this?
First, we start with a free 30-minute consult where we discuss your goals, any barriers to achieving them, and vision to determine if you’re a candidate for the program and, if so, which level.
If you think you’re ready to move forward, the next step to a 90-minute “Wellness Inventory,” which is a deep dive into every component of your wellness. When we finish, you’ll walk away with a comprehensive Wellness Review and Evaluation report, whether you join others in the Concierge Wellness Program or not. Together, we’ll determine if you’d be a good candidate for Concierge Wellness.
If together we decide you’re a good candidate, we choose from one of the programs: Concierge Basic Package, Ultimate Mind-Body Wellness, or Wellness Jumpstart. The packages vary, but in each, you can expect to receive:
Weekly Wellness Wheel Tips News from meMembers-only Live Community: in-person wellness community meetingsMonthly Nutritional GuidelinesFree Access to Fitness on the Run-sponsored Education Events“Wellness Café” videos for members every weekAnd much, much more…
If you think you’d benefit from the Alexandria Wellness program, or if you’d like to learn more, set up a 30-minute introductory conversation with me today at www.alexandriawellness.com.
