New beginnings

How to hit the reset button

For many people September offers the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button, despite it being the last quarter of the year it's not too late to give the rest of the year your all.

For parents of school age children, September is a time to get organised, as we return to the familiar routines of School and work after the Summer Break.

However, it's not just the academic year that looks to the Autumn for a period of renewal. Historically, the end of August was always a time for transition especially for farmers as they plough the fields, reap the rewards of a harvest, and prepare for the winter season. Similarly we too can take solace from a summer break, rake over the old ground, and plant the seeds of a fresh start!

Like Spring, Autumn provides us with visual cues for change. Leaves turning brown, orange and yellow, the sun low in the sky and those darker mornings that at first seem so alien after a summer of light and long evenings. It's these cues for change that set a strange expectation in us all - whether the academic year is relevant or not! Somehow in Autumn we all expect a little shift.

Mary Shelley
The beginning is always today

Here's 3 ways to 'begin again'

Make one small change
You'd be amazed how motivating it is to just make one small change to your weekly routine and it inspires more action when you realise just how easy that change was. Pick something simple & achievable; here's some examples:

- Increase your daily water intake by 2 glasses
- Reduce the amount of sugar in your tea or coffee
- Increase your step goal by 500 or 1,000 steps a day
Plan your meals
Meal planning has so many benefits that it's hard to imagine that many of us don't pre-plan our food! Not only is it a stress-buster and money-saver it also allows for greater control over your diet, portion size and hopefully adds variety! Planning meals will help improve your shopping habits, and food choices so you aren't reaching for a solution in a hurry which might not be well thought out.
If you're aim is to lose weight, the NHS Weight Loss Plan App is a great place to start and will help you plan ahead for what goes on your plate!
Pick up where you left off
If you were in a good routine before the Summer months, and the break has interrupted all that great effort, do your best to pick up where you left off.

Re-starting good habits can feel like a lot of effort - but it's effort worth making.

Just take a moment to reflect on how you felt when you were in the 'zone' perhaps you had your nutrition licked! Or you were exercising 3 times a week? Or you were hitting your step goal. What was it that kept you going? What were your incentives? If you can remember those feel-good-factors that motivated you then, it may help you to hit the reset button NOW!

begin again

One last thing:

We have faced a lot of change over the last few years, so if your world has suddenly got a lot busier and you are now having to split your time in many directions, take some time to adjust. It's ok to take things gradually and not expect too much of yourself in this transitional phase!

Take your next step to LiveWell

We're here for your health and wellbeing. Want to make a change? Register or contact us today to take your next step to LiveWell.

How does this work?

The tailored approach LiveWell Dorset uses to come up with solutions to the things that are stopping us achieving our goals, is based upon work done by University College London developing the COM-B model of behaviour change. In this model, all behaviour is influenced by understanding a person’s capability to change, their opportunity to change and their motivation to change. By understanding which of these is the biggest barrier to change, we can tailor support accordingly. This model of behaviour change is at the centre of the support we offer, online and in person.

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