It sounds like it could be a song.

But it also a state that we often fall into during the cold time of year. It can slowly creep up on us or hit us out of nowhere. It can feel like something is just not quite right or like the whole thing is just unbearable. It is winter! It might be cold where you are and that means we feel more like eating comforting foods and hibernating than getting outside or be active. Yet you might also have decided that for the new year you were going to get started on getting healthy and here you are, struggling to get to the new habits that you intended for yourself.

We expect so much of ourselves! Like… “I should be able to turn things around” or “Why can I not get a grip and just do it?” or any version of that… You might be nodding your head, recognizing that these are some variation of what you tell yourself as well. We think that if we decide to do something it should just end up happening… and if not…”there is something wrong with me”.

It is really not that simple! We don’t automatically feel motivated and ready to rock. And we don’t stay that way all the time either. Now I will have to say that action is a great anti-dote to feeling blue, being stuck, or having trouble moving forward however getting there is not as easy as just willing yourself or using the good old guilting yourself to get going. Beating yourself up has never really motivated anyone. As much as a kick in the butt might be useful from time to time, when feeling blue that approach can leave you feeling like a failure instead. See there might be other options for “HOW” if you start out by asking yourself what you need to feel good about doing what you are intending to do. Of course you do also need to want to do it!

This is where your intentions are important. Are they based on what you want because of your desires, wishes, dreams, and how you want to feel? Or are they based on fear or rejection of yourself as you are now? To keep feeling motivated to do it has to be based on how you want to feel when or because you do it.

So this is where my favorite “AND” come in. Can you do both? Knowing that winter is a time where we naturally retreat into our cozy place and look for comfort and warmth AND acknowledge that you also want to for example feel vibrant and healthy.

New habits are not as easy to create as just deciding you want them. This is often where we get stuck. Changing habits start with wanting to feel different. And then we build them. Yes build!

Basically what I am saying is that getting yourself going and moving forward is both a choice of action but it is ALSO a recognition of what you want and then what you need in order to do so. For that to happen you start with being mindful about how you feel without judging. Just notice and let go of the self-judgment and instead spend a little time on self-acknowledgement. This way you can move toward getting a sense of what you need to feel better.

Think of one or a couple of small steps that you can do and that you feel good about doing, that will help you get onto your Path for more Health.

This is the kind of stuff you will learn more about in the 9-step online self-nourishment program which integrates the food-knowledge, mindfulness and habit-shifting that are the 3 key elements essential for transformation.