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“I’ve had such a long day, I’m tired, I think I’ll skip the gym”, Well I’ve already fallen off the wagon today so I’ll just keep going & start again on Monday”. Heard these before? Giving yourself permission to steer off the healthy path gives you immediate relief, but the next day you feel regret, disappointment & frustration. This leads to more self-sabotage & a slow spiral backwards.
Thoughts & emotions shape behaviour. Your goal is to learn how to control all your many emotions to the best of your ability, as everyone is different. Confusion, fatigue, anger & tension reduce performance, especially if already in a depressed state. Anger & tension on the other hand can sometimes enhance performance if not feeling depressed. This is when we say, ‘take your frustrations out’ with boxing, running, doing weights or whatever it may be.
Our performance does not have to be physical, it can be in the workplace too, whether that’s home or office. Finding the optimal time to train or focus on a work project could come down to figuring out when your emotions or mood is at it’s peak. You could keep a diary of what parts of the day you feel best or worst.
For 1 to 2 weeks, focus on these four things.
1. On a scale of 1-10 rank your overall mood for the day plus your mood right before exercise.
2. Write 1 word describing your overall mood & mood before exercise. 3. Rank how productive your exercise was.
4. Record your greatest achievement during exercise. At the end of the 2 weeks, evaluate & highlight any patterns or not. Maybe you need to change times of exercise to improve output for work project.
Another way to change our state is by reframing our words. Instead of saying ‘I can’t’ do something or feel a certain way, ask yourself how can you change, what can you do for a different outcome, how can you put a positive spin on things? Also by making molehills out of mountains & saying ‘so what?’ infront of our challenge.
Poor moods can lead to poor food choices, putting us further into a downward spin. Eating junk foods make us feel good while doing it as it tastes good (if it’s your thing), but then the regret afterwards can be stressful & this is bad. Besides not eating it in the first place, you have to accept that you ate it, move on & be better next meal. Optimally you must be organised. If you know you need a snack in the afternoon as a pick me up, have healthy options available. If you don’t eat a snack, are you starving when you get home & reach for the most convenient unhealthy or healthy option? Plan your week ahead on the weekend & know what your work & exercise schedule is so you can plan your food which helps control your mood.
Does music help improve your mood? Have your favourite stuff ready to go when you need to get pumped, just feel happy or calm down. Create playlists for exercise if you need, driving to work to an important meeting, before exams, when you feel sad, when you are stressed etc. Music is proven to enhance our mood for optimal performance.
Our body language can change our state. Do you slouch when sitting or standing, or do you stand & sit tall? Do you walk into a room with confidence & a smile or cowering & scared? Are you dressed for success or just comfort? As a Fitness Coach I’m always in casual clothing so when I go to networking events or meetings I like to dress smart casual (I’m still not a make-up person though). But at the end of the day people will always deal with who they resonate with, so just be yourself.
Remember you are the one who determines how you feel & react to those feelings. You can make a choice to change your state. Will you regret your choice or rejoice in it?