Fight the fear of change
Beware of gremlins
First item on Barbara's list: get her body back in shape. A chronic yo-yo dieter, she enrolled in a 24-week health program that involved personalized nutritional counselling, inspirational coaching and a daily 30-minute workout. And then she heard the voice. "I call it 'the gremlin,'" she says. "It told me I had never been able to keep the weight off, so why would this time be different? It told me I was good at making excuses but not at sticking with my plans."
Why do such voices assail us just when we're ready to break free of our old ways and set our sights on more? According to Michele Pankratz, a consultant in Vancouver who helps people make life changes, we're frightened of change and of how unleashing our inner dynamo will not only revitalize but also transform our lives. The best way to silence these negative voices, or performance inhibitors, is by gathering information to dispel myths and fears and help you set realistic goals that will put you on the right track, says Pankratz. Then it's easier to make the next move.Three steps to success
Richard Earle, a psychologist and managing director of the Canadian Institute of Stress in Toronto, has developed a three-step program, called the Power Pattern, to help people tap into their eustress, which literally means "good" stress. In contrast to distress -- the type of stress we've come to associate with headaches and hypertension -- "eustress gives you the energy to carry out your plans," says Earle. "It mobilizes your inner resources in much the same way that calories mobilize your body."
Step 1 is to learn how to build energy through proper nutrition and exercise and conserve it through relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. In Step 2, you are developing your inner dynamo by focusing your energy and visualizing what you want to achieve. For instance, says Earle, "Picture yourself at the gym or helping others deal with a chronic disease successfully. Imagine what you're wearing, saying, doing and feeling."
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First item on Barbara's list: get her body back in shape. A chronic yo-yo dieter, she enrolled in a 24-week health program that involved personalized nutritional counselling, inspirational coaching and a daily 30-minute workout. And then she heard the voice. "I call it 'the gremlin,'" she says. "It told me I had never been able to keep the weight off, so why would this time be different? It told me I was good at making excuses but not at sticking with my plans."
Why do such voices assail us just when we're ready to break free of our old ways and set our sights on more? According to Michele Pankratz, a consultant in Vancouver who helps people make life changes, we're frightened of change and of how unleashing our inner dynamo will not only revitalize but also transform our lives. The best way to silence these negative voices, or performance inhibitors, is by gathering information to dispel myths and fears and help you set realistic goals that will put you on the right track, says Pankratz. Then it's easier to make the next move.Three steps to success
Richard Earle, a psychologist and managing director of the Canadian Institute of Stress in Toronto, has developed a three-step program, called the Power Pattern, to help people tap into their eustress, which literally means "good" stress. In contrast to distress -- the type of stress we've come to associate with headaches and hypertension -- "eustress gives you the energy to carry out your plans," says Earle. "It mobilizes your inner resources in much the same way that calories mobilize your body."
Step 1 is to learn how to build energy through proper nutrition and exercise and conserve it through relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. In Step 2, you are developing your inner dynamo by focusing your energy and visualizing what you want to achieve. For instance, says Earle, "Picture yourself at the gym or helping others deal with a chronic disease successfully. Imagine what you're wearing, saying, doing and feeling."
Page 2 of 3
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