Let's stop having this mindset

"I'll start once this vacation is over."

"I'll start on Monday."

"I just moved, so once I get settled I'll hop back on."

"I'm pregnant. I'll eat what I want, then do better once I have my baby."

"I'm going through a lot at work. Once I close this deal, I'll be able to focus on my health." The "Pause-Button" mentality is coined by John Berardi, Ph.D and it's means that we do ourselves a disservice when is comes to our health if we constantly take breaks to "do it right" over and over again, which always leads us down a road of self-sabotage and guilt.

Why? Because, even though it's well-intended and commendable that we want to focus on our health, it places us in an all-or-nothing mindset once we get started and leads us to: - Burnout - Unrealistic perfection - Deprivation - Resentment - Cyclical dieting Is this sounding about right? This is why (as painful as it is for some of my clients) slow, steady and realistic shifts are my priorities when it comes to helping them create a lifestyle they truly enjoy and works for them. They've been programmed by society to rely on quick fixes, and when it's not happening soon enough, it's frightening, frustrating and they lose hope. Remember, wellness is not binary; we will constantly be ebbing and flowing with our health throughout life. The beauty is being aware of what's working/not working for our bodies, mind and soul. Not letting external resources and people guide us down a path of destruction and hopelessness. FUN FACT(S): Did you know some of your cells replace themselves every day while others take months, your skeletal structure changes every 3 months and your whole body within 7 years? Serious. Changes are happening ALL the time. That said, if we want to see a shift in our efforts, we must give our body a chance to actually allow these changes (healthier food, meditation, movement, quitting a habit, new adaptogen, etc.) come into fruition. That means six, seven months to YEARS of not hitting the pause button. So quit being so quick to give up - patience really is key! Back to the pause-button mentality.

It gives us momentary relief to know that we've have that day, month and/or year to "get back on track."

I really do get it.

But what about those 30 or 21-day diets or programs? What happens when it's complete, that drive goes away and life happens? Those short-term diets and pause-button mentality doesn't teach you how to remain in a long-term, wellness, I-want-this-as-my-lifestyle mindset. So, how do you get out of that mentality? 1. Ask yourself, "What will be different next time you get back on track?"

What was your answer? An honest one? Priorities versus excuses. Really think about what you're choosing to make time for. 2. Accept that life has NO pause button. You can't escape work, breakups, traffic, kids, the weather or loss of a loved one. All you can do is do your best and KEEP GOING. 3. Focus on what you ARE doing and aim to be a little bit better each time. Did you eat a donut at breakfast but killed your other meals with leafy greens, clean protein and veggies? Yes! Did you miss a workout but ended up taking the stairs the rest of the day? Amazing! Or did your boss push your meeting up and you only got through 10 minutes of your workout? You did something! Listen, you're going through life and we all know it's not easy. Living well is a matter of always doing something. Pressing pause over and over delays progress, so do your best to push through it. You got this!