How are you setting up your environment for success???
If you are constantly putting yourself in a negative environment it is going to be damn near impossible to build positive habits!
For example:
- If you struggle with alcohol and eating crap food every weekend, then it may be good to walk away from activities that surround yourself with these temptations and look to get involved in other healthier activities.
- If you can't control yourself around sweets, then it may be good to keep them out of sight/out of mind. For example: putting them up in a certain cabinet, in the freezer, not keeping them in your immediate surroundings, etc.
- If you keep junk in the house that is easily accessible at mealtimes, that is what you are going to be more prone to grab vs if you keep fruit bowls out, meal prepped items in the fridge, protein snacks easily accessible in the pantry and so on.
We are the product of our environment, and we are "triggered" by it.
- Struggle to workout in the morning? Let’s place your running shoes by your bed and the workout outfit you are going to wear the next day so when you wake up that is the first thing you see.
- Struggle to eat more protein in your diet? Make your protein sources extremely easy to access and visible so when you walk in the kitchen and go into the pantry/fridge that is the first thing you see.
- Having trouble getting enough water and hydration in your day? Fill big water bottles and keep them on your desk while you work. That way they are in a visual place and can help remind you to drink up!
- Have a hard time not "losing it" and binging on the weekends? Ask yourself how you can have a candid conversation with your family around eating out less, less alcohol, and doing more activities that don't involve just food and drinks!
I know we are in a society that surrounds ourselves with instant gratification and the "feel good" moments! We are constantly seeking that dopamine rush; however, this can lead us down a bad pathway of addiction to things that don't help our health.
I am all about having a good time and making yourself feel good, but I also know that we have to retrain our brain when we are stuck in scenarios that don't lead us to the life we want to be living!
Easier said than done of course but I want to ask yourself today...
Do you feel your environment is setting you up for success or making it extremely hard for you?
If it is the latter... What do you need to do to change it?
And, if I know you well enough, please don't try to overhaul everything overnight with drastic changes. Small wins make a big difference and set you up for success because you can actually achieve and implement them easier than trying to accomplish a major overwhelming shift. I challenge you to pick 1 thing to implement next week.
Here are some ideas:
- Place a 32oz water bottle on your desk with you every day.
- Bulk cook 1 protein source to have it easily accessible in the fridge.
- Wear your walking shoes/place them next to your desk to remind you to get up and move.
- Move all the "junk" to a cabinet in the house that is out of sight.
- Replace the bottle of wine on the counter with another low-calorie drink.
What's your small win that you are going to try and achieve this week? Let me know!
-Emily