Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

One of the decisions I made early on in my personal training career was to always Choose My Mood.

This was initially because I wanted to ensure my clients had the best possible experience with me, whether it be 6am or 8pm. I felt it was my responsibility to walk the talk. As with so many things the real benefits were in fact enjoyed by – Me!

When you are lucky enough to have a career in which it really is vital to put on your game face (whether you feel like it or not!) the funny thing is you start to feel like it a whole lot more than not. You don’t get to indulge your poor-me-I-just-need-to hide-behind-my-computer-screen-and-wallow inclinations.

Instead you get to bust through those potential low energy, foul mood times. And that, (as a naturally MOODY person) is something I’m very grateful for.

Regardless of your career or personal situation choose your mood is always your option. It’s especially vital at the start of your week which is why in todays show I’m sharing:

How To Dump Monday-i-tis and Win Your Week.

The thing with Monday-i-tis is… it can turn into Wednesday-i-tis and Friday-i-tis. In fact, even the weekend can be worthy of winging about and so too (in one particular extreme case I’m thinking of right now) can 5-Star international holidays! At the very heart of this attitude comes a lack of gratitude and appreciation.

The deceptively simple question is, “What is the more fun way to spend your day?”

To feed the negative thoughts and feelings that we all could fall prey to? Or,

To feed the positive and focus on all there is to be incredibly grateful for?

It’s an easy answer right?!

To put it into practice here are 3 steps to dump Monday-i-tis and win your week:

Step One to dump Monday-i-tis. DIAGNOSE: What are you focusing on that makes Mondays so unappealing?

It can be easy to get sucked into focusing on un-fun, tedious and what doesn’t go so well. In the same way that you may eat fabulous food all week and then blow out at one meal and focus on that blow out to the point where you feel so guilty and hopeless that you turn that one little blow out into a results ruining 3 day fast-food-fest.

So, diagnosis is about awareness. What are you letting yourself focus on and what are you making it mean?

Monday could be the first day of a 6 day working week. Alternatively, it could also be the fresh start to this week in which you have the opportunity to make huge progress towards your most compelling goals. I recommend you choose your focus and enforce it the moment you wake up. What is the first thing you say to yourself when you wake up Monday morning? 

At the risk of sounding a little extreme (gosh, you know I’m extreme by now right?!) I wake up at 4am to my Eminem “Lose Yourself” ringtone and I say: “Let’s do this!” To be fair, I have updated it in the past year to a more instrumental, slightly calmer version (still Eminem’s Lose Yourself) which does not jolt me into my day with quite the same intensity.

That works for me because I’m very goal and achievement orientated. There’s no right or wrong – or better or worse with what motivates you. The thing is awareness. So if you are for example very family orientated perhaps one of the things you love about Monday is breakie with the kids before you leave for work? Or the special dinner you have with your partner Monday evening?

Equally it’s of value to identify any negative triggers you may already have – they are likely at an unconscious level and find a more positive alternative to ‘switch’ to. For example:

A). Does a certain comment (maybe from a certain person) send you into a bad mood? If so, what could you make that comment mean instead?

Is it a refection of how much they really do care about your welfare even if they’re not so great at demonstrating it effectively?

Is it even about YOU? Could it rather be their own stuff, insecurities and limiting beliefs playing out with you as the (misguided) target?

B). How about the weather? Does rain and wind send you into a spin, and could it rather be an opportunity to show how committed you are to your training?

C). When a client cancels or a meeting is rescheduled? Is that frustrating, or a chance to get a head start on some other important work or hit the gym?

Also, become aware of the people that feed your negative inclinations. 100% responsibility here. If you choose to hang around negative, judgmental people – it WILL rub off on you.

Step Two to dump Monday-i-tis. TREAT: What could you either do to, A) Change the situation. Or, B) Focus on differently to change your experience of the situation?

In any situation you have the choice to either change your procedure or change your perception. So if you suffer from Monday-i-tis because you hate your job is that something you can work towards changing?

If a new job is too big a step then let’s focus on the perception angle. What can you focus on that is good – worth appreciating about your job? Your colleagues, your clients, the income that allows you to pay for the essentials you need and the personal activities you do love?

There is no limit to what you can appreciate if super pressed – perhaps you appreciate the lessons your manager is giving you in how NOT to manage a team! Anti-mentors can be as helpful (short-term) as mentors. Possibly a couple of clients are pretty valuable at teaching you patience and tolerance!

Step Three to dump Monday-i-tis. REPEAT: How can you systemise this strategy until it becomes automatic?

As with any new habit, choosing to dump Monday-i-tis will take a conscious effort initially. Stick with it and it will become unconscious. In the same way that after choosing to include veg at each meal for long enough it’ll become a habit where you feel wrong when you miss it.

While you’re waiting for conscious to become automatic lock and load a few systems to make the process as smooth and easy as possible on yourself. Here are some examples:

A). Build a habit of thinking about everything you’re excited about / grateful for when you wake up each morning.

The key here is that you can be grateful for anything and getting good at feeling gratitude for small things makes life a whole lot more fun. Your first coffee. That podcast you love that is due out today. Your favourite playlist. The workout you’re going to do that’ll leave you feeling awesome once it’s over.

Again it’s all in the framing. Today I trained lower body – my favourite – so it’s easy to feel excited / grateful about that… however tomorrow when I wake up and know it’s a zero training day (my least fav) I’m still going to feel grateful that I have plenty of lovely clients to train and that my body will feel rested and ready for weights again the next day.

In fact, whenever you feel that “Why me?” “I can’t be bothered!” mood coming on, snap yourself out of the downward spiral by asking: “What are 3 things I am (or could be!) grateful for right now?”

B). Have a trigger to help put you in your best possible mood at the times where it is most important or where in the past you may have struggled.

Perhaps your fav pump up, feel good, harden up (!) song to play before you hit the gym or arrive at work.

Some people use an accessory – like jewellery, as their trigger, a reminder of what ‘hat’ so to speak, it’s time to put on for a certain situation.  In fact I have a greenstone necklace I always put on before my (often at 4am, in the dark, audio only) podcast interviews.

C). Catch yourself and reframe when any old negative language creeps into your thinking. Self talk is potent. You want to get in working in your favour.

So the “Oh no, it’s Monday already – where’d that weekend go?!” becomes your personal version of “What an awesome weekend – now how can I make this a Monday that I’ll feel most satisfied with when I crawl into bed tonight?”

D). Strategically insert some of the things you love into your Monday. To be clear, I’m not meaning Monday can become muffin day!

However perhaps, you save your fav podcast or audio book for Mondays and listen on your way to work? Maybe you do your favourite workout on Monday? Perhaps Monday is date-night? Or Skype night with your bestie overseas? Maybe you simply read a book you love in bed at the end of a productive day?

As a super dear client of our studio observed in relation to Monday-i-tis: “It comes up any day you want it!”

To get actionable today, if you subscribe to Monday-i-tis or Any-day-i-tis let’s dump it and win your week!

What can you either do to, A) Change the situation. Or, B) Focus on differently to change your experience of the situation?

If you’re thinking some of this sounds slightly manufactured – you’re right. It will seem that way – until, with practice, it starts to come naturally for you.

I guess the question is: Is it worth that extra effort to choose your mood rather than live at the mercy of your emotions?

I want to end todays show with a little #MondayMotivation in the form of a tip related to Food, a tip related to Exercise and a tip related to Time. If you’re on my email list (first, thank you!) and second, you’ll likely recognise this format as I finish each weekly

email with 3 tips in these categories. Though I call Time: LIFE.

Because of course Time is Life and how you spend it is crucial. Here are those tips:

FOOD). How about starting Mon-Yah with a delicious, nutritious Dessert for Breakfast? I love, love, love Blueberry Almond Chia Pudding. You’ll need:

• 1 cup almond milk (choose unsweetened + calcium fortified)
• 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder (or other sweetener I LOVE @pranaon.
• 10 raw or roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Optional: other seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, thinly sliced pear / apple, a drizzle of almond butter.

Mix all ingredients except nuts in a jar or other container with a lid. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or even overnight.

Add nuts (and any optional extras) just before eating.

EXERCISE). What if you incorporated a short, fun workout with a super high bang for your time invested buck?

Public accountability here! I’m starting a weekly live workout routine which is short and sweet. It’s called Moves To Choose Your Curves and each Thursday morning (early, like 5.45am Sydney time) I’ll be in the gym with 3 moves to target one body part. By the time this goes live I’ll have already shared my INNER THIGH LOVE (that’s your Adductors!) workout. Here’s the Facebook link. Those moves:

• Elevated Sumo Squat with Pulse. 12-20 repetitions.
• Side Plank Leg Raise. 12-20 repetitions.
• Sumo in out Jump Squat. 12-20 repetitions.

Aim for 3 circuits for a quick inner thigh love focused workout or combine with my other #movestochooseyourcurves workouts coming each #thursdaytraining!

You’ll find me on Facebook via Strong Body Green Planet (it’ll then come up as Galvanize).

LIFE). Finally, what about injecting some podcast inspiration to truly help you win your week? I listen to such a variety however here a 3 of my current and long term favs:

• For long form chats, from a vegan athlete, wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, author, public speaker, husband, father of 4 and inspiration to people worldwideI have so much respect for: The Rich Roll Podcast.
• To upgrade your mind with wisdom from the most brilliant people: The Jordan Harbinger Show.Jordan really is a skilled interviewer who does his homework and gets some truly fascinating guests.
• To really help kick your A into G (!) The Gary Vee Audio Experience.To be honest I can’t handle Gary ALL the time however I love him right now. He’s undeniably successful, genuine, hard working and increasingly I really respect his focus on positivity, optimism and gratitude.

No ladies on that list right?

Sadly of the 19 fav shows in my little purple pod app (I clean and evict regularly) only two are by ladies. You can help that though! Have you guessed how?

By rating and reviewing The Healthification Podcast! That’d be AMAZING. As much as it means The World whenever I speak to someone who tells me they love the show (and it does mean so very much to me) it doesn’t help us burst this little podcast out of the mammoth haystack of 700,000+ active podcasts and help other people find the show. If you want to help me in my mission to create a fit, strong, happy, healthy, compassion vegan world then please take the time to rate and review the show. It counts! HUGE across the pod waves thank you.

Till then that’s it for today in Healthification. Thank you so very must for trusting me with your time and attention today. It means a lot.

The Healthification podcast is proudly bought to you by my FREE ‘Easy Vegan’ plan. It took me 25 years to transition from a meat eater to a happy, healthy Vegan! You can do it in just 3 days with my simplified ‘easy vegan’ plan!  Get the fit, strong, and healthy plant based body you deserve… while avoiding ALL the mistakes I made along the way!

Till next time, remember Creating a body and life you love is Freedom. (If this ex-carb queen, non genetically gifted, naturally uncoordinated vegan chick can do it – so can YOU!!!)

If you liked “How To Dump Monday-i-tis and Win Your Week” you’ll also like 223: Wednesday Weigh-in, A Day In The Life: REFRAMES revisited.

If you liked “How To Dump Monday-i-tis and Win Your Week” you’ll also like 031: Monday Motivation, The Power Of The Reframe.

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.