The society creation-value work of Action for Happiness and the Stress Management Society have been a source of inspiration for my April’s blog posts.
April has been quite an unique month, not only in terms of great social causes and campaigns, but also in regards to lockdown restrictions easing off in the UK and slowly life getting back to a closer sense of normality.
For my last April blog post, I was inspired by April’s Action for Happiness campaign: Active April – daily actions to help you stay active and give your mind & body a boost.
Being active has been for a long time associated with strenuous exercise or going to the gym. However, and gladly the perception of what means to be active has changed and nowadays being active is not only linked to physical activity but to a whole body-mind experience where through physical movement we can boost our mood and contribute positively towards our mental, emotional and overall health.
After a year of continuous lockdowns and so much time spent at home, finding the motivation to be active or continue to be active (once the novelty of online workouts and walks in the park wore off) may have become a true challenge for many of you. Sometimes, no matter how much awareness and knowledge we may have we still lack motivation to adopt and change certain behaviours and habits.
If that’s your case, let’s make the impossible possible by putting into action my:
5 top strategies to motivate yourself to become active
1. Set a goal
Think about what you would like to achieve in the short and in the long term. Would you like to improve your mood, cardiovascular or overall health and wellbeing? Manage your weight and/or increase your social network and be part of an inspiring community? Setting goals is fuel for determination, resolution, motivation and action. A life without goals is a life that undermines our own ability to fulfill our limitless potential.
2. Find your favourite way of being active
Being active shouldn’t equal to feeling obliged, deprived, bored or with no sense of joy or fun. Not everyone enjoys going to the gym, swimming or doing crossfit. Happiness is a combination of pleasure and a sense of wellbeing. The most important thing is to be active on a daily basis.
3. Buy motivational & self-confidence boosting clothes
Buy gym, leisure or outdoor clothing that makes you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin. Dress to feel confident and motivated. You would do the same to go to a job interview or a wedding: being active is a health & wellbeing lifelong investment.
4. Create a routine around being active
Daily routines can be helpful to form and stick to new behaviours and habits. Think of how and when to fit in your being active routine in your daily work and personal life schedule. This may mean working out in the morning before work or going for a long walk in the evening. Anything that creates increased stress and anxiety will undermine your chances of success. Be realistic and kind to yourself.
5. Be active with others
However finding your inner motivation may be the foundation to take action in your life, sharing a common goal or experience with other people can be also an incredible source of motivation to be active. No wonder group classes, tournaments, games and competitions are so popular – being together creates agency, joy and happiness. Consider joining a local dog walking group, a wild swimming club or a yoga in the park session.
Go to https://www.actionforhappiness.org/ if you want to know more about their creating-value work and want to get involved.
