We all have our own thoughts and conversations about our past, present and future state of fitness. Have you stopped to tune in to hear what those conversations sound like? Try it. What tone of voice do you hear? Is it hopeful? realistic? practical? Or is the tone pessimistic? anxious? or overwhelmed?
At our Mindset Movement Kickoff Workshop, Mental Performance consultant, Joy, gave us an overview of how we can take greater control of our thoughts, in order to impact our feelings and actions with regards to CrossFit.
These same concepts can apply to our nutrition and overall fitness as well. Taking an introspective look into our thoughts can help us understand, and possibly even change, our physical actions and feelings with regards to our fitness.
Positive thoughts, such as “I’m a strong athlete” or “I’m excited to learn how to cook some new recipes this week!” not only increase our self-image and enthusiasm, but will probably propel us to work on our fitness each week. That may be in the form of attending classes consistently, or choosing foods that make us feel healthy and energetic. On the other hand, negative thoughts such as “I can’t do a single push up” or “Man, grocery shopping and meal prepping is such a chore” may lead us to avoid actions that will help us be more successful.
Most of us will experience thoughts from both ends of the spectrum, but it’s important to practice techniques to help us practice a positive mindset. Here are three strategies that you can try:
- Vocalize self-affirmations – Practice physically vocalizing statements that affirm the positive thoughts about your you’d like to develop over time. The more you repeat them, the more they become your beliefs.
- Making notable accomplishments – Write down achievements on a post it or piece of paper, and collect them in a place or journal that you can go back to when you are struggling with negative thoughts or emotions.
- Chat with a friend or coach about your goals – Sometimes being able to share your goals out loud can refocus you on what you’re working for. This also gives you a chance to receive feedback from someone with regards to how you’re progressing (many of us are our biggest critics). Being transparent with people you trust is a great way to tune into your mindset, especially if doing this on your own can be difficult or overwhelming.
