So hard to get started

[olivia]

Anyone else have a hard time with these other lifestyle aspects? I'm good on food. I can't seem to get myself motivated to make the other changes. I keep having false starts.

[knorman]

Apr 10, 2014 1:30:29 GMT -5 olivia said:

Anyone else have a hard time with these other lifestyle aspects? I'm good on food. I can't seem to get myself motivated to make the other changes. I keep having false starts.

I'm having a very difficult time with restful sleep and stress reduction. The food change to AIP was actually pretty seamless since I was already Paleo.

[localkaty]

It's okay to take small steps if you need to! Sometimes gradual change is easier to sustain, but trying to be "perfect" at everything overnight is just too much (for me anyway). I started with sleep, because it's the most rewarding for me (who doesn't love sleeping?), then moving more (easier when you're well rested!), and so on. It's the perfect time of year to start taking walks outside.

[laurenrdn]

Agree! Small changes will be easier to sustain and make them habits. You'll be able to focus your energy on ONE thing better than trying to do everything at once. When making changes, I like to focus on 1-2 things for a month to make them real habits, like going to bed earlier, meditating, walking, etc.

[Erin]

Even a year later I struggle with stress... I have gotten better with sleep unless my husband works overnight. I think just doing the best you can is important. And certainly try not to stress about stress Just be kind to your body. Repair takes time

[Karin]

Apr 10, 2014 1:30:29 GMT -5 olivia said:

Anyone else have a hard time with these other lifestyle aspects? I'm good on food. I can't seem to get myself motivated to make the other changes. I keep having false starts.

 Yes, absolutely! I don't even know where to start or what to do next. It seems like there's so much that needs to be done all at the same time and everything affects the other. Making all the food changes is hard enough and sometimes very stressful to me, but I should try to limit stress too. And I'd love to exercise more, but I can't do a lot of that, because of other health complications. But they'd probably get better if I did get exercise. Sometimes I feel like I'm going in circles and it's just very demotivating.

[robinf]

There are lots of good ideas already posted, but those that are most effective and for me are:

- Focus on 2 or 3 small changes every 3 weeks or so. Take a 3 day to 1 week break from this pattern of habit-building.
- Check in by asking myself "Is this reasonable?" for each habit change I'm working on. For example, meditating for half an hour every day may not be reasonable, but 10 minutes a day is.
- Once I've chosen something I know is reasonable, commit 100% to make that change. Nothing gets in the way. Once I've missed a day, it's a slide down the slippery slope from there. But, if "life happens" (something *really* serious), forgive myself and start building another unbroken streak.
- Think of each change as part of a strong foundation that I can build on in the next 3 week period.
- Congratulate myself for each time I make a step toward my goal, especially that all-important first step!
- Start with building better sleep! Quality sleep has a ripple effect throughout everything else you do.
- Remind myself each day that I don't have to do everything at once.

[darcie]

Sometimes some extra accountability is helpful. I hadn't had much luck getting myself to bed earlier, and then I tried out this app called Sleep Cycle which is supposed to report on your quality and quantity of sleep. I found myself wanting to get to bed earlier just so that I didn't have to admit to this app that I was staying up late for no good reason! Haven't been using it lately (it's a pain that I need to have my iPod plugged in to charge all night), but I guess I should get back into it...