How to get back on the saddle after holidays
We all been there, and I have just recently visited ground floor after I fell off the wagons. Keeping your habits on the road or during holidays is tough to say the least, though sometimes it is just as beneficial to let go and fall flat on your belly!
The holiday season being in the full swing for many, the lifestyle habits are like a “stay at home dad”. How do you bounce back strong when the buzzer wakes you up for the duties and how to get back on track with your healthy nutritional habits and movement practice!?
We took some time off lately and went to Finland to visit my homelands where I definitely fell off that wagons.
Eating wayyy too many yummy rice pies, lacking proper daily movement & meditation sessions. I’m now having to bounce back to my old me who I was just two weeks ago (feels like an eternity).
You can watch my video about this here!
Go cold turkey
One of the better ways to pick up where you left is to go all out! This may not always be the easiest solution, but it works well when you have that willpower up no your sleeve.
If it’s only been few weeks, like in my case, this method of going straight back works well. Especially us guys who think more binary, to leave the past in the past and get on with the program is the fastest way for sure!
On the other hand, if you are trying to pick up something that has been dormant for few months you might encounter some resistance. Let’s say you used to go to the gym 5 times a week and at the moment you are clueless where the closest “sweat box” is, it might be smarter to refer to the second option below.
Step by Step
A little easier and less aggressive option is to build your habits back up piece by piece.
Wanting to get back on track with your healthy eating habits, start by aiming for one healthy meal per day. Even smaller chunk of one green smoothie in the morning will make a difference as this rewires your brain and mindset slowly back on track.
Personally, I’m using this method to build my schedule back up.
#1 Start
When you look at the big picture it often looks overwhelming and we drop the ball right there and then. To be honest,
“If it was easy, everyone would be doing it”
In the end of the day, you got to start from somewhere – To take that first action step!
When rebuilding your routine, braking it into a bite size chunks is a fantastic idea!
#2 Gain momentum with triggers
The very first action is where you should be focusing on! Instead of looking at the whole activity aim for the trigger.
Looking at a 1 km swim might be overwhelming, especially when the water is murky and sky’s dark – Putting the swimming goggles and trunks on starts the domino effect and you are off to the races!
A perfect example is the ramp before you get on to the highway! Concentrate on the ramp instead of the highway!
#3 Measure your habits
Having a way to measure and track your activity during and after the habit is hyper helpful!
The most obvious and common for us Westerners is the physical weight that we want to loose. Stepping on a scale every morning gives us an idea which direction you are heading.
The other common item I see nowadays is an activity tracker. I’m bias to Polar and their products (Being the Finnish brand).
The idea of tracking your daily activity, steps and sleep has made a great difference in my world.
Measuring your progress is vital for your success. This Article from James Clear dives deeper into the subject
#4 Accountability
Having someone there to do the habit with is the best way to stay accountable! In case your habit is something like swimming or running, you can hold yourself accountable by writing a journal or better yet have someone you report your actions to!
Having an accountability partner reduces the need to use your willpower and other triggers and adds fun for keeping up with the process!
#5 Reward
There is a hardwired reward system build into our neural pathways.
Give yourself a social media moment after your movement session or have your bulletproof coffee only after the swim session!
When reaching a daily mini goal that gives you something in return makes the whole process more enjoyable again!
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Bottom Line: Enjoyment of life is where it’s at, holidays are fantastic and we all need them! We get a wider perspective for life and ability to make changes when we return to our home turf!
Be kind to yourself when getting back on the saddle. The ultimate goal is to have habits that are so fun and addictively healthy that they stay with us regardless of holidays or the amount of grind at work.
When we are able to keep the habits going during the so called “off times” then we can start to update and upgrade those routines to the next level and progress even further!
What are your best practices for keeping on track? Are you in the process of building, rebuilding or upgrading your lifestyle habits?
I previously wrote a book review about high performance habits that you can read here.
I’m always highly interested to hear how my writing influences you and how I can make it better!?
It would be fantastic if you let me know how you are finding these tips and ideas that I’m spreading? =)
As always – Have the best days
