Motivation


Monday Morning Motivation

Monday Morning Motivation

Another major part of staying in shape and fit is motivation. While we are all motivated differently, there are some days that we can agree take a bit longer to get going than others. While some may say Friday, and others Wednesday, according to a few major studies, Monday morning is actually the most depressing day. That’s why I thought I’d share some ideas to get some Monday Morning Motivation!

Monday Morning Motivation

The study that was conducted in 2011 by Marmite (a British food spread company) found that 50% of all employees at a company arrived late to work and would only really be productive for 3 1/2 hours on average on Mondays. If you work full time, then that means more than half your day is spent being extremely un-productive which, in the long run, can actually cause more depression. What’s more, the Telegraph reports that most people won’t even smile until 11:16AM on a Monday which, to a guy that smiles all the time, sounds absurd! So how we can beat the Monday blues?

On a Monday, when you rustle yourself out of bed, remember that this day sets the pace for the whole week. If your Monday is piss poor, expect the rest of your week to follow this same trend. Try and push yourself to be more productive on this first day of the week by thinking of things you normally wouldn’t. How about when you wake up, instead of throwing the alarm to the ground, you set the alarm a little earlier than other days and make yourself a nice breakfast that you can sit down and enjoy. Allowing your brain time to acclimate to the day and making your body happy with great food is a perfect way to get more motivated. Of course, don’t overindulge as that will lead to a sleepy lunch break.

Another awesome way to stay motivated is not to think of work while you’re there. I know, that sounds like terrible advice, but focusing on what you’re doing while you’re doing it just adds to the fact that it’s not the weekend. Instead, why not think of a fun activity to do once you get out of work. Whether it’s something like just getting a nice workout in or seeing that special someone, take the time to dedicate yourself to that.

My personal favorite activity is watching a comedy show on the smartphone on my breaks during the day. This activity, I find, wakes up my mind almost instantly and has me laughing so when I head back to the desk, I am in a better mood after every break. Sure my coworkers who pass by see me laughing like a madman with headphones plugged in, but at the end of the day, they also thank me for having a good attitude on the worst day of the week, Mondays.

Monday morning motivation can take many different forms but finding a way to make them a day you look forward to rather than dread can boost your productivity as well as general outlook of the week. At the core of all motivation lies your self however so find something uniquely you. Whether that’s knitting during breaks, calling your friends during lunch, or going on a movie date after work, Mondays don’t have to be unbearable if you find something that makes them awesome.


How Unrealistic New Year Goals Can Kill Workouts

How Unrealistic New Year Goals Can Kill Workouts

It’s a brand New Year and we all know what that means; time to make a fitness goal that won’t ever happen! That isn’t to say it isn’t possible but when we set an unrealistic New Year goal that we have no way of hitting in the short periods of time we give ourselves, we actually hurt our diets and workouts rather than help them.

How An Unrealistic New Year Goal Can Kill Workouts

Say for example, as the bell dings midnight, you look at your significant other and proudly proclaim “I’m gonna lose 20 pounds a week this year by going to the gym twice a day!” Now, outside of the health risks associated with such a goal, there’s also a psychological toll that this takes on as well. Have you ever been in a gym and pushed yourself to do as many reps as you can then quit because your muscles feel sore and realize a little later that you could have done more?

That is the single most important part of your fitness regime taking over and stopping your progress by preserving your well being; your mind.

The problem with an unrealistic New Year goal isn’t that it is out of reach so much as it affects our psyche so heavily. Whenever you set a goal for short periods of time, each day that you aren’t any closer to that goal, your mind begins to make it seem like it’s impossible. This makes you feel lethargic to the goal and your “daily” gym goal becomes, every other day, bi-weekly, weekly, and eventually not at all. Your mind needs to see results to make something seem worthwhile. The reason you give up during a gym session isn’t because you’re physically weak but mostly because you don’t have a personal trainer to push you past your limits and truly motivate you beyond the gains your eyes have seen.

Without proper motivation, your mind stops you before you can even begin so, as with any good workout, it all begins with your mind. To combat the unrealistic New Year goal, try this instead:

  • Pick a goal that you can accomplish in the short term. Try adding an extra rep to your usual workout that has started to feel easier every week or cut meals down to not having as many slices of bread. These smaller goals make progress almost immediately evident as you receive positive feedback and can continue increasing your fitness goal levels as time goes on.
  • Don’t set a short time frame, you have a whole year! If you want to lose, say, 10 pounds, set a date a little further out. Why not set it for the summer and check your progress monthly after going to the gym regularly. This is a great motivation as you’ll not only see HUGE leaps but also feel better and want to continue going once the summer is done. In fact, people find the most success after taking these small steps and hitting the goal early then stepping it up so by summer they’ve lost 50 lbs!
  • Remember, when you step into the gym or begin your diet, you’re doing it for yourself and your own well being. Regardless of what you posted on Facebook or Twitter, your fitness goals begin with you and although your mind controls how many reps you do or how many cheat meals you sneak in, it all begins with you.
  • Plan out your New Year goals with your personal trainer. Nothing is better than having someone watch and monitor your goals as time goes on. Your personal trainer can tell you what has and hasn’t been working and can help you refine what you do. They can also tell you that a goal is unrealistic and maybe give you a better target to go for.

With all this in mind, pushing yourself to make the change is a good step in the New Year, just remember that setting an unrealistic new year goal will almost always backfire if you’re not ready for such a drastic change. Check your mental state, check your daily routine, and then decide if that goal is doable or if you’ll become discouraged before you’ve even given it a fighting chance.

Until next time, think healthy, be healthy.