Physical well-being and weight management are something many people strive to improve, but it’s hardly as straightforward as it seems. Despite being crucial for daily life, many are falling short of the standards for physical activity. Over three in ten (35%) Australian adults aged 18–64 are insufficiently physically active, and that issue increases with age. Nutrition can also be difficult to achieve, as many may not know how to balance meals or have access to healthy ingredients.
Apart from difficulty eating nutritiously or exercising regularly, a poor mindset can easily bring a person down. Restrictive habits and negative beliefs affect one’s reality without them even knowing, making it harder to stay motivated on the journey to improvement. Apart from the physical things you can do, changing the way you view yourself and wellness can make a huge difference in your progress. Here are some ways you can elevate your thinking to improve your physical well-being:
Focus on you
When people try to lose weight, they often try all sorts of solutions and tricks. Many of them tend to be restrictive and limiting. Cutting things from your lifestyle or comparing your progress and routine to others’ can quickly lead to discouragement. Rather than focus on what you cannot do or what others are doing, prioritising sustainability is essential if you want to improve your physical well-being. Instead of following trends, find a strategy you love and know works for you and incorporate it into your diet, exercise, and other health habits.
Even modern weight loss programs have adopted this mindset to make the process more enjoyable and less like a chore. They help you create a plan tailored to your needs and lifestyle, allowing you to build healthy habits instead of restricting or comparing yourself to others. When you focus on what’s realistic and attainable for you, you’ll have a more positive outlook on your well-being and your journey.
Work on what you can control
Most people think the scale is the best way to measure your progress towards or success in improving your physical well-being, but frequently and obsessively monitoring the numbers won’t do your mindset any good. You can’t control how your body burns fat or when results will show, so focus on the aspects of physical wellness that are in your control. Beyond eating nutritious meals or working out regularly, things like sleep quality and stress management matter for weight loss and physical health. They’re crucial for balancing your body’s hormones like ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol, which play a role in regulating your appetite.
One thing you can do is switch up your routine to go to bed earlier and sleep for longer. Starting a bedtime routine to unwind can help you adjust how and when you sleep. Pointing out the source of your stress can also help you address it. For instance, your workplace could unknowingly be causing you stress or hindering your physical wellness. One in seven Aussie workers struggle with physical health as many employees spend the majority of the day at work sedentary, so it might not be as unlikely as you think. If you are worried that your physical health is slipping, you should find ways to help you manage it. Activities like exercise, meditation, or enjoying a hobby can help with de-stressing for better health.
Challenge your beliefs
Setbacks are inevitable when you’re on a journey to improve your physical well-being, but it can be easy to fall into the belief that you’re a failure or just not cut out for a fit or active lifestyle. However, constantly holding onto these beliefs about yourself can affect your reality, making it harder to see and celebrate your progress and stay motivated. That’s why challenging your beliefs is so crucial for self-improvement, not just physically.
Turning your pessimistic beliefs into something more hopeful can shift your mindset and your experiences. You can believe that you’re capable of recovering from a setback or that you’re making progress, no matter how small or slow. Once you change your mindset, you’ll find more confidence and compassion for yourself, and you’ll be in a better headspace to make your goals a reality.
The mindset is an essential yet often underrated part of your journey to enhancing your physical well-being. It sets the stage for your habits, perspective, and behaviours, all of which greatly contribute to your drive and outlook. You can celebrate every victory knowing you’re overcoming something you may have seen as an impossible feat before.
