The Power of no

13 Jan The Power of no

By Theresa Sarginson, One You Lincolnshire Health Coach.

The Power of No – Sticking to your health goals

Often when we try to change, we come up against obstacles that can make us feel that we just can’t do it, at One You Lincolnshire we have some lovely health coaches that can help you identify your obstacles and the various ways you can overcome them. As health coaches our role is to provide support in behaviour change through one-to-one appointments aimed at increasing confidence and motivation. This involves working together to overcome barriers and set goals to work towards and achieve.

Temptations day to day can make it more difficult to achieve our health goals, so practising the art of saying ‘no’ can help us to stay on track and maintain our healthy lifestyle behaviour changes. The ability to say no gives us back the power to make decisions that are best for ourselves and our health,

‍Be prepared – Creating a healthy environment for yourself will encourage healthier choices and make it easier to say no to temptations. For example, it is easier to say no to unhealthy food options in the office if you have prepared and brought a healthier lunch with you ready for lunch time and those midday food cravings.

‍‍‍Inform peers of your goals – Sharing your goals and healthy lifestyle changes with the people closest to you can increase willpower and reduce temptations. So, make your journey known to your friends, family, partner and colleagues and this may actually decrease the amount of times you need to say no to things in the first place.

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‍Say ‘I don’t’ instead of ‘I can’t’ – Saying ‘I can’t’ do something implies you are restricting your behaviour, which has a negative connotation and can make us feel like we are limiting what we are allowed to do. On the other hand, saying ‘I don’t’ do something provides a sense of empowerment, and shows you are making a choice to resist temptation that may affect your goals.

If this is something you can relate to and could benefit from health coach one-to-one sessions to support your healthy lifestyle behaviour change, get in touch for further information or see your healthcare professional for a referral.