6 Tips For Overcoming Fitness Overwhelm

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your fitness goals, or anything else in life right now, you're probably not alone. 

Overwhelm is a common element of any 'big job' - whether that's decluttering your house or office, decorating, or anything else. When you have a long way to go to your goals it can feel too overwhelming, and that's often what stops us from getting started at all. 

This weekend was a great reminder of this for me, as I finally knuckled down and decluttered my office. It was something I'd been meaning to do for ages, but it was in such a state that it was really hard to get started. I'd neglected it for months (ok, years..), and it had become a dumping ground for everything from paperwork to clothes to half-finished projects. Every time I opened the door, I was reminded of everything I had to do, and it was too much.

It dawned on me that this was probably how many people feel about their fitness journey. When you have so much to do, it's just too overwhelming. When you have a long way to go to your goals, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and think 'I'll never get there', or even to know where to start.

But here's the thing: you can get there, one step at a time. 

Here are some useful steps you can take to reduce the overwhelm and start making progress on your fitness journey, inspired by my own experience of decluttering my office: 

1. Make a plan. Katie created a plan of what we were going to do each hour we decluttered, and that helped to keep us on track. The same goes for fitness -  what are your fitness goals? What do you need to do to achieve them?

2. Set smaller goals & take them one step at a time. We planned to tackle things one item type at a time  - for example, we'd spend an hour on books, and then move on to paperwork. This helped to break the task down into manageable chunks. So, rather than thinking 'I need to lose 20kg', focus on smaller, more achievable goals like 'I will walk for 30 minutes every day this week'. Or, you could look at each area of your health and fitness, and set a goal for one area, for example, choose to focus on either nutrition, mindset or fitness first. Make a plan of what you're going to do each day or week, and stick to it. The decluttering process was daunting, but we just took it one step at a time and eventually got there. The same goes for fitness - don't try to do too much at once, or you'll quickly get overwhelmed. 

3. Make it fun. We put on some music and had a dance while we were decluttering, which helped to make the task more enjoyable. How can you make fitness fun for yourself? Maybe you could try a new class, or go for a walk in a beautiful location. 

4. Get rid of the distractions. On our declutter day, we made a rule that we weren't allowed to go on our phones or check social media, as that would just be a distraction. This helped us to focus on the task at hand. When you're trying to focus on fitness, it's important to get rid of distractions too. Remove anything that's going to tempt you off track, whether that's unhealthy snacks in the house, or  time-wasting apps on your phone. 

5. Get rid of anything that's holding you back. This decluttering task was so much easier because we got rid of anything that was holding us back. We shredded old paperwork,  and we donated any items we no longer needed or loved. You can do the same with your fitness journey - let go of anything that's not serving you, whether that's old beliefs about fitness and diet, unhealthy relationships with food, or letting  go of any negative thoughts or behaviours that are holding you back. Guilt is a common one - many of us feel guilty for having not exercised, or for overindulgent excessive eating or drinking, but guilt is a waste of energy that could be better spent on actually achieving your fitness goals. If there's something you're doing that's not helping you to reach your goals, or is making you feel bad about yourself, ditch it. 

6. Find a support group or community. Katie was a great motivator, and it was so much easier (and more fun) to declutter with a partner. Katie helped me to get started and motivated me to keep going. Find someone who will do the same for you on your fitness journey. 

I'm pleased to report that, 12 bin bags and 4 charity donation bags later, my office is now decluttered and I feel so much better for it. Just like fitness, the process was daunting to start with, but now that my office is free of clutter it feels great! I'm going to be so much more productive now. 

I hope these tips have inspired you to start tackling your fitness goals, and that you'll find them helpful in reducing the overwhelm. Remember, take it one step at a time, and don't be afraid to ask for help. 

If you need any help in your health and fitness journey, please feel free to reach out @seansalingerfitness. I’m always happy to help.

Sean