While you are on a weight-care journey it’s helpful to check in with your motivations and individual health goals. This article will help you to explore what healthy means to you and help you to understand the why behind making the changes you want to.
By exploring the questions below you can build your understanding of what health means to you and boost motivation by understanding your personal motivations for change.
Step 1. Understanding what healthy means to you
Bring the word ‘Healthy’ into your awareness
- What does healthy look like? – E.g. Smiling more
- What does healthy feel like? – E.g. Having more energy
- Imagine yourself as ‘healthy’, what habits would be a part of your day? – E.g. Meal planning
Now reflect on your answers – do these images and perceptions feel accurate and achievable? If they do, great!
If your answers feel too extreme or are based on how social media or others around you define healthy – stop and re-look through your answers.
What could more healthy and fairer answer be? Try to be as realistic, fair and honest in your answers about what healthy could look and feel like in the future.
It can help to focus on your ownwants and needs in relation to health – rather than what others describe healthy as being.
Step 2. Understanding your why
Understanding your personal motivations for making health-related changes can boost resilience and help you feel more connected to your health-improvement journey.
Get curious and identify all the reasons why you want to achieve a healthier lifestyle for you.
- What will I personally gain from making changes?
- In what ways will my life improve if I make these changes?
- In what ways will my life be hindered if I don’t make these changes?
- Why is making this change important to me?
Step 3. Understanding how to achieve health for you
Have a think about what nutrition, mindset, movement and behavioural steps will help you to get to these visions of health and help you achieve your goals.
- What foods do I want to eat?
- What ways of eating will promote my overall health?
- What ways of eating make me feel physically good?
- What ways of eating make me feel mentally good?
- What types of movement do I enjoy?
- What types of movement make me feel good?
- What ways of thinking and talking to myself help me to progress?
- What ways of thinking and talking to myself improve my self-esteem?
- What behaviours increase my changes of success?
Top Tips
- Try to visualise what a healthy way of living includes for you
- Try to identify why change is important for you personally
- Try to identify what factors help you to live in a healthy way
