On 1st January I set myself three challenges and on 31st January they were all completed.
My challenges all required daily actions and focused. They were yoga, meditation and journaling. These three activities I regularly suggest to my clients as they can all help reduce stress and anxiety and help focus the mind. So I decided to practice what I preach consistently.
Most of us naturally take the path of least resistance. When doing anything outside our comfort zone we naturally find reasons why something won’t work. Although I wanted to do these challenges I knew I would have some psychological barriers which could jeopardise my success.
My 3 main barriers: –
1. Consistency – I’m not going to find the time every day.
On day one my preferred time to meditate (before breakfast) wasn’t convenient. I didn’t want to fail at the first hurdle so I found another time later in the day. Surprisingly, this new time of day suited me better. As the days went by, I made small but significant improvements and enjoyed my meditation sessions.
2. Inspiration – What do you journal about every day?
I could have easily used this excuse many times in the first few days. I decided to find five minutes in the morning to dedicate to writing about events from the previous day. I took my inspiration from events and activities that I was grateful or thankful for. I soon gained confidence and was writing for more than five minutes each day.
3. Motivation – What’s going to help me to show up on the mat each day?
Doing a 1-to-1 yoga video means if I don’t show up no-one but me would know; right! So to motivate myself I shared this challenge with my daughter. She encouraged me with texts asking about my progress. Also, the energy and genuine gratitude expressed at the start of each video by the teacher, somehow made me feel that I would be missed if I didn’t show up!
So 31 days later I can honestly say I feel fitter and stronger both mentally and physically. Some days I found it a struggle but I have learnt a lot about myself from challenging myself in this way. I will continue to do yoga, meditation and journaling – but maybe not every day. I’m now able to suggest these activities to clients from a place of personal experience.
It has opened my eyes to accepting other challenges and I would encourage you to find something to challenge yourself. Something that requires consistency, motivation and allows you to grow and learn by taking small but significant daily steps.
It’s suggested that for consistency, a minimum of 31 consecutive days is ideal. Day 20 is usually the hardest day as this is the day most people give up. You will need to dig deep to stay motivated to get to day 31.
Remember, it’s OK to start a challenge on any day of the year. It doesn’t have to be 1st January, there are 364 other days to start from too.
If you have a challenge and need help with motivation, consistency or inspiration are needed to get in touch to see how we can help you.
About Sharon
Sharon lives with her partner Geoff in Warwickshire and they have two adult children. She worked for over 25 years in an office environment, gaining qualifications to degree level in finance, business and management. While there Sharon witnessed and experienced many stressful situations and suffered illnesses that were stress-related.
Sharon was advised to make some changes to her lifestyle which included trying complementary therapies. After experiencing the benefits of complementary treatments, Sharon decided to retrain and share her knowledge and experiences to help others recognise and manage their own physical and emotional stress and anxiety levels.
Sharon has been working as a complementary therapist for over 15 years now, and she loves helping people manage and reduce their stress levels, to feel uplifted, focused, positive and empowered about their lives.
