Health Willpower boost
Stick to your goals – and stop eating leftover Easter eggs! – with tips from positive psychologist DR TIMOTHY SHARP
MIND OVER MATTER
You can’t trick your brain because ultimately, we know what we’re trying to do.
“Instead, remember why you’re doing what you’re doing and don’t just focus on what you’re doing,” says Tim. “Weigh up the pros and cons of change and ideally, you’ll realise over the long-term there are more advantages than disadvantages.” TAKE-HOME TIP Habits are triggered by specific cues, so tag an element of exercise to something you do regularly.
It can be as easy as walking to the furthest, rather than the nearest, coffee shop. If you do things like this consistently, it’ll become second nature.
HAVE AN ACTION PLAN
As Tim puts it, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail” – and we couldn’t agree more!
“A plan provides clear focus and direction, and there are general principles we can all follow, including making your action plan SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed,” he says. “It’s best to start small and build up from there, rewarding yourself for every step you take along the way.” TAKE-HOME TIP Visualise your action plan and write down each step that’ll help you get there. Put this list somewhere obvious to make sure you stick to it.
DO A DECISION DETOX
We’re bombarded with choices every day, from 10 types of milk at the supermarket to hundreds of television channels, which can be overwhelming and draining for some people. TAKE-HOME TIP “Ideally, you need to limit your options to two or three and save your decisionmaking resources for really important and unpredictable situations,” Tim explains.
For example, rather than deciding what to eat for your next meal, prep all of your meals in advance to cut down the choice – and this will also remove the temptation to eat something unhealthy.
‘If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail’