Most of the time, the hardest part of achieving anything is feeling like you have a mountain to climb by yourself. Though there is no one else out there who can win your goals for you, it can be reassuring to know that there is certainly plenty of help available. Whatever your goal of the moment is and whatever the reason behind you wanting to achieve it, it is ultimately going to be down to you to set the wheels in motion and put in the work to get yourself to the top, and you definitely don’t have to do it without help along the way.
Below, we take a look at some of the health and wellness goals that others are undertaking, and if you share the same ambitions then we’ve summarised some of the best ways to get assistance for a more successful outcome.
Work on fitness goals
There is no doubt that lockdowns messed up our routines no end, especially with all of those cancelled fitness classes and gym closures, and though the Internet was awash with live streams and fitness tutorials, there’s nothing quite like having that one-to-one session or group class focus at set times of the week to focus you. Now that the fitness industry is back in full swing, with some new fitness influencers discovered too, it can be difficult to know where on earth to begin.
Working out the best route to take will be entirely personal, you may find that you respond better in a group fitness class or that you prefer one-to-one fitness training with a personal trainer to keep you motivated. Either way, there is so much help out there for you, whether your goal is to build muscle, to work on fat loss, to gain strength, to recover from an injury etc. Just remember to set yourself realistic goals and choose activities that you enjoy doing, which will make the task seem far less like a chore and more like an exciting activity that you will look forward to doing.
Smoke too much?
Since the gigantic shift in the marketing of cigarettes, we are all well too aware of the damaging effects that smoking can cause to our bodies, from heart issues and lung problems to dental and skin health. The good news is that many people have taken note and have made steps to kick the habit for a healthier future, with the use of aids like patches, gum and nicotine bags.
According to the pussit.com website, using nicotine bags – small, flavoured pouches that are placed under the upper lip to consume nicotine in a less harmful way – are a good step in a person’s journey to quitting smoking. There are a variety of brands that make quitting smoking simpler – such as Swedish brand Zonnic – with a range of products designed to cut the cravings, and there is always help available from the health service if your goal is to kick the habit for good.
Reduce work stress
Is work making you ill? We push ourselves more and more these days to achieve higher targets and bigger goals, often putting in extra hours in which to do this, foregoing sleep and free time that would normally be used for more relaxing activities, and this often comes at a detriment to our general wellbeing. Stress and anxiety at work can come from a variety of factors such as worry about being laid off, pressure to perform and meet increasing expectations and also extra overtime, but when enough becomes enough, it’s really important to find a way to manage any situation you find yourself in, especially if it’s taking a toll on your mental wellbeing.
There is one thing in being passionate about your work, but when it all gets a little too much it’s time to take a break, and though it can difficult if you feel you’ve set a precedent for how your work should be done or the effort you put in, it’s important to take care of yourself first. It may be refreshing to learn that you don’t actually have to get up at 5am to fit it all in and allowing yourself some self-care days, a proper holiday, or even a sabbatical, to re-establish your balance, is entirely acceptable, and should be encouraged by any good workplace. Head to the HR department, make sure you have a trusted friend at work, get support from your manager or an outside source and take a step back and look after yourself.
