Are you struggling to get yourself going?

If there is one strong undercurrent I keep hearing and that has been implied over and over during the past few weeks it’s that people are losing their motivation during this strange time we are living. It’s harder to get out of bed, it’s hard to keep working out and it’s hard to keep eating healthy.

What is motivation? According to Psychology Today motivation is “the desire to act in service of a goal”. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “the reason or reasons one has for acting or behaving in a particular way” and “the general desire or willingness of someone to do something”. That last one got me thinking. We’ve been locked away, social distancing, our lives have been turned upside down and this willingness to do something seems to be dwindling. It makes sense to me, we’ve already been doing and giving up SO much, to give up that piece of cake or to push to get that workout in seems just too much right now.

Did you know that motivation can be built in the body? That it comes from a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is released when the brain recognizes something important is about to happen. It encourages us to act to gain something important or avoid something bad. You can hack this system. There are things you can do to boost your motivation and right now and I think there are lots of us that could benefit from this news.

Of course, I’m going to start with nutrition! Eating real foods like unprocessed meats, omega 3 rich foods and lots of vegetables and fruits is a great start. Nuts and seeds have lots of dopamine boost and my ultimate favorite food dark raw chocolate!

Sleep is also important. Making sure that you are getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep will not only help with dopamine levels, it will help with all neurotransmitters which means you will be happy and motivated!

Another idea is to activate your artistic brain. Do something creative, think outside the box and your motivation will turn up a notch. Most of us are left-brain dominant (if you are right-handed) most of the day, enjoying music, coloring, or painting, doing whatever you love to do that is creative and fun can boost your dopamine levels and stimulate your motivation.

When it comes to your goals, it’s important to write them down, set action steps to reaching your goals, and celebrate small wins. Focus on how amazing you will feel when you accomplish that goal and what will change for you when you achieve your dream. Whether the goal might be losing weight, meeting a work deadline, or staying in contact with friends, little steps in a “to-do” list written out each day can help boost your motivation.

Are you looking to get even healthier? Maybe you need a little help with the motivation to eat right? Do you feel yourself struggling with reaching your nutrition goals? Could you use some support figuring out what’s holding you back? Curious about how nutritional health coaching can help you make healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!