Struggling With Your Routine? Here's 3 Ways to Get Your Motivation Back

Getting back into a routine after time off can be really tricky. Our normal habits and behaviours have gone out of the window, our sleep cycle is off and it can feel impossible to get back any form of normality.

Whether it's time off work, a holiday or the Christmas break, we have all felt that sluggish regret at being all YOLO with our discipline and have been beating ourselves up ever since.

Don't stress!

Having a break from our normal routines and pressures of life is really important. It's time to recharge, relax and do fun things with the people you love.

I am going to share with you three sure fire ways to get your motivation back and some much needed routine in place so that you can achieve your goals for 2022.

If you've loved your lie-ins but now you're ready to get a grip back on things, this post is for you.

SORT YOUR SLEEP CYCLE

I cannot stress how important sleep is enough. Getting enough, good quality sleep and prioritising your sleep is an absolute game changer when it comes to feeling your best and seeing results with your training.

Your body likes a consistent bed and wake up time, even if you don't.

This isn't to say a cheeky lie in at the weekend is completely out of the question. However, during the week focusing on getting into bed at the same time and winding down with a book will make that morning alarm much easier to take. A similar if not the same bed time and wake up time are what you want to work towards.

We know the biggest issue in getting what we want to done in a day is a lack of time. Don't let skipped alarms and spending too long scrolling on Instagram in bed send you off track. No judgement, we all do it.

If you're someone who's sleep cycle is currently all over the place this is going to take time, allow yourself a few weeks to start to feel sleepy earlier and more awake in the mornings. If you stick with it, I promise this will help hugely in increasing your motivation levels for exercise and healthy eating.

GET ORGANISED

This is going to look different for everyone, what works for one wont always work for another.

No matter how you like to plan your day, whether you're a pen and paper or electronic fan, being organised for the week ahead will save you heaps of time and make you far more productive.

Look at your week ahead and look at where your commitments are and busiest days fall across the week. Avoid over committing yourself on days where you can see early meetings or late finishes.

Planning workouts and daily activities in advance will help you see where these might fit into your schedule. You'll be able to see what works and what doesn't. Saying you want to train three times a week is great but if you don't decide what those days are and how that works with the rest of your life, they likely won't happen.

If you're struggling for time to exercise full stop, look at reducing the length of your sessions or training at home to save time getting to and from the gym. There is nothing wrong with a quick 20-30 minute workout if that's all you've got time for. I am a firm believer that something is better than nothing.

If motivation for workouts right now is pretty low, look at online real time workouts you can do on YouTube or work with a trainer who can do all the leg work for you.

SUPPORT

Having some support is key whenever we want to make changes in our lives.

Again I feel like this is something that will look different for a lot of us. Some people thrive in group settings and so signing up to classes and committing to a paid booking works really well. Others find a gym buddy, a friend to meet at the gym and train with keeps them on track and is something they wouldn't cancel because they don't want to let the other person down. Perhaps working with a coach who books you in for sessions and programs your workouts for you is just what you need, enabling you to just show up and get it done.

This might take a process of trial and error, trying a few different class or session times until you find one that suits your energy levels and your work life balance well.

Find a way to commit to yourself and to someone else that helps you stay on track and find that time in your routine that will work for you long term.

There is no right or perfect way to create a routine, it is just about finding what works for you.

Enlisting the help of a close friend, family member or partner who can check in and encourage you along the way is also priceless. Never be afraid to ask for support when you need it from your loved ones. I talked about the importance of accessing support in my blog post Top 5 Ways My Clients Got Amazing Results This Year.

Falling in and out of routines happens, life happens, sometimes stuff just gets in the way.

There's no fool proof way to avoid any of that.

All you can do is control how you respond and react to it. Re-framing your mindset and looking at a different way to approach your week could have a huge impact on how your routine plays out in the future.

Remember it is never too late to try new approaches to living the active and healthy life that you want.

Sometimes we've just got to find that sweet spot between what you want to achieve and your current lifestyle and find a way to make it work for you.

Need some more support? Check out how we can work together to make 2022 your best year yet.