Let’s face it, you likely been told a few times that you need to change up a few things about yourself? Yes? I know.
Don’t keep seeking the ultimate change and sacrifice your personality and morals!
This article is ALL about how you can upgrade your life to achieve the success you desire. The article will be directed towards the opportunities for fitness and wellness, with some recommendations on how to approach these potential lifestyle changes.
In many cases, change is not easy! It’s stressful, challenging, and time-consuming but in the end, it’s worth it!
STRESSFUL
Okay, okay some fitness and wellness professionals will state that stress is BAD! But… let’s think about it, not all stress is created equal. What is the difference between distress and eustress? Distress has been defined as the bad stress that evidently results in negative psychological and physiological effects (Rudland, Golding, & Wilkinson, 2020). Eustress has been defined as good stress that provides a learning curve and ultimately provides an enhancement in performance (Chaby, Sheriff, Hirrlinger, & Braithwaite, 2015; Rudland et al., 2020). Although stressors can be adaptable and generate learning, it is still important to understand the value of stress maintenance.
This is a great time to bring up Yerkes-Dodson Law which is used to describe performance and stress relationships. In the inverted U of Yerkes-Dodson Law, the biggest takeaway is that performance is notable with stress stimulation (Rudland et al., 2020). However, there becomes a point at which the stress becomes so demanding that performance decreases (Rudland et al., 2020). In the results of stress and performance, the development of “stress-related growth” can help produce transformative change (Rudland et al., 2020). In the end, just remember, be true to yourself. Understand that stress is a part of the journey but don’t let it control you. Accept it and just be you!
CHALLENGE
I won’t sit here and write, it’s going to be easy and stress-free! That would be deceiving!
In the real world, individuals need to work for their earnings and know that a challenge will occur. Unfortunately, there may be an external source that is unfamiliar with your adventure and they may keep directing you towards another path. If you have done the research and sourced to knowledgeable professionals, you realize it will take time. It’s not going to be a walk in the park! External stigmas will likely arise via unfair treatment by others (Gray, 2002). It’s important to think about these experiences prior to making your change so the external stigma doesn’t lead towards withdrawal or restriction of social support (Gray, 2002). Social interactions are vital and are encouraged as it is good for social functions to enhance self-efficacy and reduce the risk of depression (Lindsay Smith, Banting, Eime, O’Sullivan, & Van Uffelen, 2017).
Don’t let someone bring you down and steer you off the path! Keep going and know that your goal is valued! Valued by you!
TIME-CONSUMING
It takes time to achieve a goal! It’s rarely the case in which someone nails something down within a matter of 1 hour or 1 day. It’s a timely process that likely includes some multitasking (Kiesel & Dignath, 2017). Life is always a whirlwind! But don’t worry, you got this!
As you know, the journey towards an upgraded you will be stressful and definitely will be a challenge! When it comes to appropriate multitasking, we understand that it will come with a cost of more effort (Kiesel & Dignath, 2017). Kiesel and Dignath (2017) provide the rationale that self-organized task performance is superior to a fixed schedule. Furthermore, these claims that self-organization is superior due to the fact that goals and plans are consistent with one’s actions (Kiesel & Dignath, 2017). Therefore, it should be a standard to be organized and structured throughout your journey. With that said, your personality needs to be shown within the mix! Don’t let this new change control you, but rather supplement your decision-making process.
It is widely known that individuals frequently juggle more than one task at once (Pieczykolan & Huestegge, 2019). This calls for efficient execution for the required actions they desire (Pieczykolan & Huestegge, 2019). The human action control can be subdivided into two main areas; 1. what to do and 2. when to do it (Pieczykolan & Huestegge, 2019). These two main areas are not easy to structure and organize! When it comes to scheduling the time for your change, you need to review your schedule and observe the days/times that can work in your favor. As with any new journey, start small and DO NOT overwork yourself!
Let’s eliminate any chances of burnout!
The goals you desire can be accomplished and if you stay dedicated, you will attain it! The main focus of this article was to provide motivation towards anyone working on a fitness and wellness journey. Each step will be stressful, challenging, and time-consuming! Just remember, just be you while this change is impending! By no means, should you need to change well… YOU! A new goal will absolutely change some habits you may be performing but your personality should stay the same!
Just remember, there is a peak point of stress and the positive outcome of performance! Accept that others surrounding you may not completely understand your journey, but think about this in advance to have a game plan to resist these temptations. Lastly, schedule your time efficiently to meet the needs you desire!
Reference:
Chaby, L. E., Sheriff, M. J., Hirrlinger, A. M., & Braithwaite, V. A. (2015). Can we understand how developmental stress enhances performance under future threat with the Yerkes-Dodson law? , 8(3), e1029689. doi:10.1080/19420889.2015.1029689
Gray, A. J. (2002). Stigma in psychiatry. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 95(2), 72-76. doi:10.1258/jrsm.95.2.72
Kiesel, A., & Dignath, D. (2017). Effort in Multitasking: Local and Global Assessment of Effort. 8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00111
Lindsay Smith, G., Banting, L., Eime, R., O’Sullivan, G., & Van Uffelen, J. G. Z. (2017). The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: a systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1). doi:10.1186/s12966-017-0509-8
Pieczykolan, A., & Huestegge, L. (2019). Action scheduling in multitasking: A multi-phase framework of response-order control. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 81(5), 1464-1487. doi:10.3758/s13414-018-01660-w
Rudland, J. R., Golding, C., & Wilkinson, T. J. (2020). The stress paradox: how stress can be good for learning. Medical Education, 54(1), 40-45. doi:10.1111/medu.13830
