I've really had the concept of "awareness" put in front of me in recent weeks and it has got me thinking about the role it plays in our behaviour. The popular technique of encouraging clients to record what they are eating, doing, or even thinking is very valuable in both personal training, weight loss, wellness coaching and self help models. After all, if we don't know what we're doing, how can we go about making the changes we wish to make? I have often questioned whether becoming aware is enough to move us forward but generally agree that it is the first step. I really enjoy working with people on the next step which is working out why we do, think, (or eat) certain things! Coaching can unlock some pretty significant realisations about our patterns and the payback we get for making certain choices. But we do need that first step and time can get in the way of our recording each and every thought and action in our day.
A TOOL TO MAKE THIS EASIER?
I have recently had the interesting experiences of being exposed to a tool that caught my interest among the many products that cross my desk and I decided that I would trial a sensor armband that apparently could pick up how much exercise or even movement I was performing in the course of a day! It would record how may calories I was burning based on skin temperature and even what length and quality of sleep I was getting. Now that interests me. LIke many people, I spend a lot of time doing what I am doing now - using a computer - being sedentary, whereas in a former life I might have been moving around a Health Club, making sure that things were running smoothly and talking to people. A lot more incidental activity. Although I am a regular and at times, vigorous exerciser, I was intrigued to find out what went on during the rest of the day. And what would be the difference between say running a workshop on my feet, and a day in the office? Was I really sleeping for all those hours I lay in bed.
FACING THE TRUTH
Then there was the really confronting part. I had to log my food if I wanted to get a totally accurate measure of whether I was in calorie deficit or excess. Now that was more difficult. It took not only effort and organisation on my part but strangely enough, some real willpower to actually record those occasional high fat, high sugar impulses, or that extra glass of wine. There I was - my own client and I started to understand that awareness can sometimes be a little more difficult than we'd imagine!
THE REASONS BEHIND IT ALL
As I reluctantly entered my erratic eating habits which I had previously believed to be well balanced and on the whole, pretty good, I really was facing the realisation of why I was eating that way. No one had to ask me "why"? I knew that it was often lack of planning, tiredness and poor prioritisation. Bingo. Enter the wellness coach who could help me create a better routine in my head, if not my body! There was relief in knowing that we do have a role to play in supporting our clients in their desire to change. The exercise has given me a greater understanding of just how valuable the initial part of creating awareness is in the success of any change plan. Knowing what we are doing has to be the first vital step before we ponder on why we do it and how we are going to make the first change. And then, before we begin, take time out to work out what will motivate us to stay true to our commitment. How will our life change for the better if we make these changes? This experience was a real reminder for me not to assume that we know ourselves and our behaviour as well as we think we do!
(The sensor armband is not yet available in Australia but will be in coming months. See my earlier blog or email for contact details.)
A TOOL TO MAKE THIS EASIER?
I have recently had the interesting experiences of being exposed to a tool that caught my interest among the many products that cross my desk and I decided that I would trial a sensor armband that apparently could pick up how much exercise or even movement I was performing in the course of a day! It would record how may calories I was burning based on skin temperature and even what length and quality of sleep I was getting. Now that interests me. LIke many people, I spend a lot of time doing what I am doing now - using a computer - being sedentary, whereas in a former life I might have been moving around a Health Club, making sure that things were running smoothly and talking to people. A lot more incidental activity. Although I am a regular and at times, vigorous exerciser, I was intrigued to find out what went on during the rest of the day. And what would be the difference between say running a workshop on my feet, and a day in the office? Was I really sleeping for all those hours I lay in bed.
FACING THE TRUTH
Then there was the really confronting part. I had to log my food if I wanted to get a totally accurate measure of whether I was in calorie deficit or excess. Now that was more difficult. It took not only effort and organisation on my part but strangely enough, some real willpower to actually record those occasional high fat, high sugar impulses, or that extra glass of wine. There I was - my own client and I started to understand that awareness can sometimes be a little more difficult than we'd imagine!
THE REASONS BEHIND IT ALL
As I reluctantly entered my erratic eating habits which I had previously believed to be well balanced and on the whole, pretty good, I really was facing the realisation of why I was eating that way. No one had to ask me "why"? I knew that it was often lack of planning, tiredness and poor prioritisation. Bingo. Enter the wellness coach who could help me create a better routine in my head, if not my body! There was relief in knowing that we do have a role to play in supporting our clients in their desire to change. The exercise has given me a greater understanding of just how valuable the initial part of creating awareness is in the success of any change plan. Knowing what we are doing has to be the first vital step before we ponder on why we do it and how we are going to make the first change. And then, before we begin, take time out to work out what will motivate us to stay true to our commitment. How will our life change for the better if we make these changes? This experience was a real reminder for me not to assume that we know ourselves and our behaviour as well as we think we do!
(The sensor armband is not yet available in Australia but will be in coming months. See my earlier blog or email for contact details.)
