At the beginning of every New Patient Consultation, we ask, “What potential obstacles do you foresee in addressing the lifestyle factors which are undermining your health?” We ask this to better prepare each patient with an individualized treatment plan to help keep them on the road to success. One of the top reasons (or obstacles) they claim to encounter is staying motivated in said lifestyle changes. In Naturopathic Medicine, lifestyle factors play an essential role in your level of success. Without them, it will be nearly impossible to create an effective treatment plan. If you’re struggling to remain consistently motivated, there isn’t much that we can say or do to help you reach or maintain the health goals you’re seeking. Since motivation is a top concern, as well as a vital piece of patient success, we wanted to share some simple guidelines for how to stay motivated in your journey toward better health.
Set Realistic Goals - Dr. Derek Lawrence said in a newsletter recently, “Believe it or not, one of the problems I see too often is my patients setting their goals too high.” When you don’t reach your goals or they take longer than expected, do you get discouraged? Give up? Throw out all the positive work you’ve already done? Instead of saying you will go from a couch potato to going for a jog five days a week, try once! And honestly, be proud of the accomplishment instead of feeling like a failure if you only went twice and your goal was five times.
Understanding your motivation - There is an order of operations in physiology, so we have to ask ourselves: "are we focusing on the appropriate stage?" For example, if you have 50lbs to lose, it won't happen quickly if you have a dramatically elevated insulin level. However, monitoring insulin markers and hopefully seeing them lower will help you know you are on the right path. Instinctually, we want instant gratification and rewards for the efforts and energy we put in, so looking for objective data points in our progress can be a satisfying and clinically useful tool. This gratification can be done via monitoring lab work but is also accomplished with routine check-ins on symptom severity and frequency Ex: migraine frequency reducing from 3 per week to 1 every other week. We can't build health in a day, nor is it an all-or-nothing approach—constant and steady improvements matter.
Have an Accountability Buddy to Ask for Support - You will likely find that your partner or a close relative will be the first one to line up in the “I’m here for your success” aisle. Often having a significant person to keep you accountable will help with your daily motivation. Since this endeavor is likely new and difficult for you, it is important to ask [your partner, family member, or close friend] for their support in a specific way they can understand. Check out our Guide for Getting the Support You Need for more detailed instructions on educating yourself and your accountability buddy on this subject. Don’t assume that asking them for support means they will know how to best provide it for you. The better health journey is likely a new process for them as well.
Educate Instead of Procrastinate - At Revive, we fight procrastination with empowerment, inspiration, and motivation. We emphasize education, and we work on getting to know our patients. Customizing care helps them understand why prioritizing health is essential and how to connect with that drive. Click the “Resources” section of our website for health-related educational materials, resources, and cheat sheets.
Revisit Your Goals Often - Sometimes, when we set long-term goals for ourselves, our needs and expectations shift along the way. Reconnect often with your “Why.” It would help if you revisited your daily goals regularly to make sure you’re still heading on the right path. If you’re the type of person that enjoys checking off the boxes or needs a little bit of a push toward structure, download this Goal-Setting Cheat Sheet to help you along the way.
Celebrate the Small Victories - If you are trying to stay on a low carbohydrate diet. Still, you got busy, planned poorly, ran out of groceries, and stress ate In-and-Out one day, RELAX! The next meal is a new opportunity and new day; don’t let it ruin the positive efforts you’ve put forth. We are here to help and celebrate with you, so make sure to reach out to us between visits. We can do a little victory dance together as you progress toward better health.
We understand humanity; we know the overwhelm; we know change is hard. What will turn you from procrastinating in quiet misery to excelling on the path toward better health? Proper motivation.
Remember, if you’re calling our office, your head is already in the right place. You care about your health enough to do something about it. You CAN do this! Always practice self-compassion and be open to slip-ups and the inevitable bumps in the road. You’re sure to encounter them. You may take full advantage of the resources and checklists we have provided for you to use along the way. Feel free to send your feedback on whether you find it convenient or not.
Now that you’re armored with our how-to tips for staying motivated, you may be ready to talk with us and see if we’d be an excellent addition to your healthcare team. We offer Free 15-Minute Consults for anyone wishing to speak with any of our Doctors here at Revive. You can request an appointment below. We will give you a call (usually within 24 hours) to confirm your appointment request and answer any questions you may have about the clinic.