No matter how healthy or fit we feel we have become, at some level we are affected by our past conditioning and how we think. I was not born a sports-mad kid. In fact, I was the complete opposite. At 10 years old, I was a very overweight little girl. I felt complete embarrassment. I felt immense shame. I felt like a defect.
My health and fitness didn’t really start to thrive until I started modeling my mindset after other truly healthy and fit individuals. I learned this at a deeper level while attaining my master’s degree in sports psychology and seeing my colleagues’ and clients’ lives changing phenomenally by upgrading specific thoughts. Everything starts in the mind.
5 Mindsets of the Healthy –
Mindset #1: People who are healthy believe that they have complete control over their destiny, rather than being predetermined.
The healthy don’t ever allow physical limitations to stop them from achieving their divine destiny. Born without arms & legs, Nick Vujicic’s life was certainly never easy. He has overcome adversity and his life is now filled with joy and purpose. Nick, now 30, has a wife, and they travel the globe sharing inspiring messages of hope, accomplishment, and love. He realized that we all need love and hope and that he was in a unique position to share that with people. He also says “Dream big my friend and never give up. Everyone makes mistakes. But no one is perfect. How can the world rise from your presence? You did indeed arrive for a divine purpose.
Mindset #2: Healthy people put their metabolism to work instead of trading off their health for time.
A healthy metabolism investor is well-informed on nutrition and a workout program that works. Their metabolism starts to pay off long-term when they master the art of consistency. Their metabolism and hormonal system are working efficiently so they can burn fat more effectively during workouts or at rest.
Mindset #3: Healthy people influence their friends and family members in positive, inspiring ways and bring them along for the journey.
One of my most inspiring clients, ‘Mark’, had spent years on a downhill addictive path of drugs and alcoholism, & jail time. He could have easily lost the rest of his life. He hired me to rebuild his body and life. Mark dedicated his whole life to good nutrition and better workouts. Mark became a strong, muscular man and lost 5% of his body fat. I helped him achieve his personal training certification. Today, Mark is sober and continues to help his family, friends, and community by his fitness example and training and has inspired many.
Mentality #4: People who are healthy focus on the opportunities and not the obstacles
Sports psychologists use mental skills training to help enhance athletes’ performance. One aspect of this training entails looking at the bright side of a situation. This is positive psychology. Seligman states that’seeing obstacles rather than opportunities’ doesn’t only affect behavior, but also affects the cellular level, making the immune system less passive. When faced with a challenge, healthy people are more likely to stick to their exercise program and not abandon it altogether. Practicing a daily positive attitude is a source of inner strength and overall health.
Mindset #5 – Healthy people perceive fear differently and learn to overcome it.
Pema Chodron said, “If you never know the nature of fear, then you can never be fearless.” Healthy people are able to recognize fear and move forward regardless of it. They understand that fear is a natural reaction to learning more about the truth or achieving higher goals.
Stefanie Basso
NSCA Certified Trainer, NCSF Sport Nutrition Specialist BA Exercise Science, MS Sport Psychology
Ph.D. Holistic Nutrition San Diego, CA 92122
Email: [email protected], www.steffitness.com
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