We all make mistakes. Whether it’s a slip up on your diet, an unplanned indulgence, or missing a few days of working out, it’s easy to get derailed from your health journey. In fact, the biggest challenge isn’t necessarily making changes but learning how to bounce back after a mistake and stay the course. Here are 4 strategies to help you get back on track when you stumble.
1) Take Stock and Forgive Yourself - When we slip up on our fitness or nutrition plan, it can be easy to beat ourselves up and feel like a failure. One of the most important things we can do is take stock of what happened; acknowledge what went wrong and why. Then we must forgive ourselves—we are allowed to make mistakes! Everyone does it and guilt will only set us back further instead of helping us move forward.
2) Reflect & Learn - Once you have forgiven yourself for slipping up, it is time to reflect on what happened and learn from it. Ask yourself questions like: What were the circumstances that caused me to go off track? Am I feeling overwhelmed or stressed out? What can I do differently next time so this doesn’t happen again? Learning from our mistakes helps us grow in our journey towards better health.
3) Put Things into Perspective - It is helpful to remember that one slip-up doesn't define you or your journey as a whole. Keep things in perspective by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture—one mistake doesn't mean that you have failed! And if you find yourself in an all-or-nothing mindset (i.e., either I'm perfect or I'm a failure), consider reframing this thought process by reminding yourself that progress is rarely linear; success comes with setbacks too!
4) Get Back On Track - Now that you have taken stock of the situation, learned some lessons, put things into perspective, and forgiven yourself; it's time to get back on track! Focus on one small change at a time and start building good habits again – even something as simple as drinking more water each day can help you get back into the swing of things. Also focus on self-care through activities such as yoga, meditation, journaling, etc., which can further support your efforts in getting back on track with healthy habits overall.
It’s okay if you slip up every now and then – nobody’s perfect! The key is not beating yourself up over it but rather learning from these moments and using them as an opportunity for growth in your fitness/nutrition journey. Remember that one mistake doesn't define who you are or where you're going – just pick yourself up and keep going!
With these 4 strategies, bouncing back after stumbling will become easier each time until eventually they become second nature – helping you achieve success in your fitness/nutrition goals!
Good luck!
Ariane
This blog was written by CCJM Consulting Team for AEM Health and Fitness