Bray People

Tips on how to make changes that last

- Calodagh McCumiskey designs and delivers bespoke wellbeing at work programmes for businesses and organisati­ons. She also offers regular personal developmen­t programmes, wellbeing consultati­ons and meditation and relaxation classes 087 1335230 | info@spir

IT is a time of year when many of us reflect and commit to being better and doing better. This is a noble intention but we all know what the road to hell is paved with. Have you made plans for self-improvemen­t this year? If you haven’t this article may inspire some. And if you have, it may help you increase your chances of long-term success. Ninety percent of new year’s resolution­s are abandoned within 6 weeks. Here are my 12 top tips to help you make lasting positive changes to your life in 2018 and beyond.

1. Start small and build. Psychologi­cally, we are more inclined to maintain small incrementa­l changes. This is more obvious when we think in terms of physical exercise. You would expect to train and steadily build up to running a marathon. The same approach works for all changes.

2. Your own life experience is your best teacher. Reflect on past changes you made and sustained. What were the key factors for your success?

3. While it can be useful to tell one person that will hold you accountabl­e and check in with you from time to time, it is not always helpful to tell everyone what you are doing. It may serve you better to focus your energy on doing what you need and want to do, not updating others.

4. Do what makes you happy. E.g. If you hate going to the gym but love dancing, choose dancing as your exercise.

5. Make the changes incrementa­l. Integrate one or two changes. Sustain them for a month and then make further changes. And continue.

6. If you are adding things to your day, take something off.

7. Don’t reduce sleep to fit more in. Sleep deprivatio­n is a recognised form of torture the world over.

8. If the changes relate to your diet, plan what you will eat and have it available near you.

9. Don’t expect to do new things, particular­ly if they are challengin­g when you are at your most exhausted. Always give quality time to new ventures.

10. If you fail or fall off the wagon, don’t give out to yourself and don’t punish yourself. Get back into it.

11. Write down your resolution­s and goals and look at them weekly and adjust to your circumstan­ces. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. If your goal is to get healthy, food, exercise and mental wellbeing will all be part of that. Explore until you find what works best for you.

12. Meditate. This makes each change easier to maintain. If you can change your mind, you can change anything. Meditation is the ultimate workout for your mind making it strong, balanced and flexible enabling you to make lasting changes more easily.

After reading these 12 tips, reflect and plan a few areas you want to improve in 2018. It is not about making sudden big changes that last a month. It is about sustaining positive changes to your life-style that last a lifetime. Regular reviews will refine and redefine things. 85 percent of people that lose weight on diets put it back on … and more. Rash sudden changes that involve an on or an off-button do not last and create an all or nothing mind-set. This can easily lead to imbalance and unhappines­s. It may be more strategic to take a few months to get into the routine you want or accomplish what you want to get done. And lastly if you want to make changes, start now.

Wishing you and yours a very happy and healthy 2018

Gut health is a hot topic again this year we will hear more about probiotics, fermented foods and gut friendly Kombucha in all forms. Yoghurts made with nut milks, plant based protein powders, and Collagen are all in the lists that I have seen and ones that you’ll hear more about. Herbal teas are extremely popular and this trend is expected to continue.

More people are becoming aware of the health benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle, and are definitely reading the labels on food more carefully. That’s no harm at all. Seriously, when you look at the ingredient list on some foods you would need a dictionary to figure out what you’re eating. I would like to see more people preparing food themselves just so that they know exactly what they are putting into their body.

Veganism is certainly on the rise. Years ago if you were Vegan it was considered strange but now it’s much more accepted and understood for being what it is, a plant based diet. Many are experienci­ng health benefits upon making the change.

Preventati­ve medicine is on the rise, there’s no doubt about that. And natural solutions to health problems are becoming the norm. So why not call into your local health store today and find out what’s trending there. Many health stores have interestin­g events that would be worth checking out.

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Meditation makes change easier to maintain.
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