Focus on the Positive

   

Posted by Leslie Warren

Jan 3, 2018

jan_blog_image_2018.jpgWelcome to 2018! It’s me again, the (once) Fitness Newbie, back for a new year of challenges! It’s going to be an amazing year.

We at Merritt have taken it upon ourselves to make sure this is your best year ever and created a plan for 12 months to a healthier, happier you! Every month, I will create a challenge for myself to go along with that month and you can look forward to a follow up blog from me about how miserably I failed or epicly I succeeded. The first step for you to join in my success is to use this mantra every day: “This year, I will be stronger, braver, kinder and unstoppable!”

It’s a new year, the beginning of anything you want to accomplish! Cut yourself some slack. Stop focusing on what you don’t like about your body. Find the things you love about it (these can be appearance or performance-based) and put more emphasis on those. By appreciating your unique traits and not comparing your body to others, you can improve your body image and decrease feelings of body shame. Take time to appreciate yourself and all you have done and are capable of doing. Here are some tips for the ultimate month of positivity:

Tips:

  1. Think about how you may be contributing to negativity around you and commit to ending it
  2. Find ways to show gratitude
  3. Reflect back on bad situations and try to think about the good that came out of it
  4. Be selective with people you surround yourself with, some people can drain your energy
  5. Take time to care for yourself with a good diet, exercise and relaxation time (BODYCOMBAT and BODYJAM are great classes to try if you want to get your mind off your day)
  6. Don’t take things personally or blame others for the way you feel
  7. Do something that makes you feel good, like give blood or volunteer
  8. Complete a fitness evaluation at our club and try a personal training session with a goal in mind to focus on
  9. Be the good you wish to see in the world!

My Challenge This Month: To go along with this month’s theme of focusing on yourself and being positive, I have decided to spend a week with no tv! I am going to take this week to see what else I can spend my time on and start journaling more!

I have always kept a journal but often don’t feel like taking the time to actually write in it. Journaling has a lot of benefits though. It helps assist in goal setting and tracking, helps you clear your mind, gives you a chance to reflect on things and the opportunity to be creative - all of which can help you feel more positive. You don’t have to write your thoughts - you could just doodle in it, write quotes you like, or even list things you want to work on. Feel free to join me if you feel so inclined and get yourself a fun new journaling notebook! (I recommend a dot journal for optimum doodling space.) Check out my follow up blog post on January 24 to see how it goes for me!

Member Events: We are starting Merritt Mondays at our clubs and the first one is January 8 - Spin the wheel of positivity to win prizes!

Your Positivity Workout: Your body is amazing! You are capable of so much with it! This month, celebrate your body and everything it can do with this 40-minute, do-anywhere workout using only your body weight.

Body Weight Exercises.jpg