[The Functional PCOS Group Program is currently enrolling for an August 31, 2022 start date- click here to learn more)
I think one of the hardest things about health is managing that feeling of stuck-ness that can come when you KNOW all the right things to do but can’t seem to find the motivation to do it.
I’m speaking from personal experience here as this is something I struggle with still from time to time.
With PCOS or other chronic health issues, this becomes doubly hard because our health issues may flare when we aren’t taking great care of ourselves and make us feel more tired and more overwhelmed. Add in the stress of life and meal prepping for the week (or even eating the food we already prepped) can somehow become a mountain we don’t know how to climb.
For myself, this tends to happen when something disrupts my daily routine. I tend to get in a good rhythm but if I have to travel or someone comes to visit, all of a sudden my routine is out the window and long after the trip is over, I struggle to get “back on track”
A few things always help me move forward.
- I remind myself that every meal is a new opportunity. I try to avoid the guilt trap that says “You screwed up at lunch so why not let the whole day (or week) go?” Instead, I choose something healthier for dinner and it makes me feel good.
2. I avoid guilting myself. I catch myself, often, being sooo much meaner to myself than I would ever be to a client- equating my failure to cook with a character flaw. Your worth is not dependent on how you eat or look. Health is about caring for yourself from a place of love and guilt has no place there.
3. I start small. I’ll often start by just adding one simple thing- typically a goal to drink 2 liters of water, get to bed before 10:30, eat 1 salad a day, cleaning/organizing the most distressing area of my home or taking a 20 minute walk. All of these things give me some dopamine and help me feel accomplished and capable and this helps me want to add more things with time.
4. I look deeply at why I self-sabotage. Why is it that when life gets busy, I’m always the one who takes a back seat? Why am I the one who doesn’t get taken care of? I have a chronic habit of stopping taking care of myself when I feel overwhelmed, I find it useful to look at what overwhelms me in the first place.
Though some things are out of your control, I find it useful to look at what overwhelms me and see where I am stealing energy from myself for the sake of other things. If there’s a way to cut back and rest more, it helps clear my mind and I’m able to move forward after I’ve rested my mind for a while.
Another great way to motivate yourself is to try something new, join a group, or commit to something. If you are ready for some outside support to help you commit to your PCOS lifestyle changes, the Functional PCOS group program may be a good fit for you. Enrollment has already begun and space is limited- you can find out more by checking out our website, here.
Learn more about Functional PCOS group program
