Tips for breaking thru mental blocks?

Happyoceangirl

Alrighty, this is for those of you who have got it figured out and want to enlighten the rest of us....

My biggest obstacles related to fitness are MENTAL BLOCKS... self imposed limitations "I can run, but I can only run this fast" or
"I can lift, but I can only lift this much".

What are your best tips for pushing yourself to reach your potential? For pushing beyond the first signs of exertion and hanging in there to do the work? What benefits have you experienced? What kind of self talk do you use? Any mantras, mottos or core beliefs?

It might really help to hear stories from those of you who never thought you could... but did it anyway.

StacySkinny

I'm not sure anyone ever really has it all "figured out". But if you don't mind taking advice from someone who has pushed herself behond what she believed to be her physical limits then feel free to keep reading. lol If not, I totally understand.

I have this kind of "Jillian Michaels" type fitness coach in my head. lol I know, it's probably not normal, but I find the more I let her talk the louder she gets and the stronger she gets. When I think I've reached my limit I hear her yelling at me not to quit. She likes to say "Just Five More!" and then when I do five more she'll say it again. lol I either have MPD or I'm learning to get in touch with my inner warrior. hahah

But even when my inner fitness coach fails to motivate me I always hear my mom's words in my head "You can do ANYTHING you set your mind to". And damn it, she's absolutely right!

sifu33

In the army, we used to have a sarge say, thumb up bum, brain in neutral, its not the pain that hurts but failure!

This is a great subject and will be great to see peoples responses.

lucifa73

I finally figured the only person I was letting down was myself. Sure I could slack off and not up that weight or push that extra 5 minutes on the treadmill but then, when the scale doesn't show what I want to see, I know I am the one responsible for the disappointment.

I keep reminding myself WHY I have started to make these changes and that keeps me on track (most days:blushing: )

MaybeImNot

bump

mmtiernan

I think the trick really is to find reasons to keep going instead of finding reasons to quit. The first time I took my daughter skating, she'd go for a while then tell me she was tired and wanted to sit down and I"d say, "Ok, but this is a really great song, can we go sit down after the song is finished?" and she'd keep going, then at the end of the song, I'd find another short timed reason to keep going until pretty soon, the skating session was over and she'd really skated the whole thing!

My point is that it's just as easy to find small reasons to keep going as it is to find reasons to stop. If you are out running, say "Well, I'll just keep going until I get to the stop sign on the next block", then "Maybe I'll keep going until I come to the yellow house in the next block", etc. Pick little goals that are immediately in front of you and easily attainable. My favorite videos are the BeachBody workouts because they have that little timer ticker that goes across the screen, so it's easy to say, "Well, I'll keep going for another minute" or until it reaches the next break, or whatever will keep you going.

Always keep moving. Always find little attainable goals that are directly in front of you to move toward and then find another goal, then another and so on, until you've finished then bask in that glorious sense of accomplishment!

BTW - my daughter went on to become a figure skater for six more years!

JustBeckyV

I agree with the others - just finding that mantra inside yourself that helps you to keep going. For me I think about what I have done so far and sometimes its other runners I see around me. I think heck they can do it I can too!!! I also do the I will just run 5 minutes and walk or whatever and sometimes I can get myself to push beyond that time and if I dont - at least I reached my goal and work harder next time. I do know there are going to be times that no matter how many times I tell myself just run the 5 minutes that I am just not going to be able to do it and that's ok as well.

AEROBICVIC

for me, it's a rush to push myself harder each rep, each mile, each whatever. i never tried drugs but i think this is a similar high, if you want to call it that. i've shown horses all my life (since i was 4) and it's always been me and a 1200 animal working together to get better at something. i didn't always have control because a horse does have a mind of it's own. so training myself for something is all ME. i get the same type of rush winning a class with my horse and achieving a goal like i do when i hit an extra personal max on the bench. some things you can't explain, it's a feel. my dad is a horse trainer and he could never explain what he was trying to tell me on how to feel a horses mouth through your hands, its a "feel", unexplainable. i understood the feel by watching him control a horse, not telling me how. fitness is the same, it's a feel and hard to explain. i don't have an answer for you as i can't put it in words. i had to find what pushes me and run with it. it's part of your inner beauty, if you want something bad enough, you're inner drive will shine!

Happyoceangirl

Thanks everyone - several interesting approaches here - variety is appealing and helpful!

Aerobicvic - Your statement "if you want something bad enough, your inner drive will shine" - hits home. I think the key (for me) is to ALLOW myself to want it bad enough in the first place.... instead of just settling for "good enough". Then everything I do will more naturally support that goal.

So, in a nutshell, DECIDING to be a bad-*kitten* is a good place to start. Mantras, creating a "mental coach" in your mind, revisiting motivation, delaying the quitting or resting for "just 5 more minutes" (then repeating the delay), finding support on MFP threads.... all excellent ideas.

Also - some mantras and tools that have gotten me this far are:
"Earn the downhill" (with running. I went from being sedentary to being able to run 5.5 miles without stopping)
"I can do anything for 30 more seconds"
Imagining that I'm done already and that I feel really PROUD of how hard I worked sometimes gets me over the hump - when I feel like I've hit the wall and can't go any further.

With all of your tips and advice - I'll break through this "ceiling" I seem to have hit. I'm SURE OF IT. (Okay, adding positive, determined self talk to the list.)

iplayoutside19

Pretty much echo what other people have said. The coaches I had in HS are always in my head, not just when excersising but at work. (Especially now when I'm goofing off)

There's the usual "You got to push yourself!" but the one that sticks the most, and can be applied to almost any situation or endevour. "Today you're going to get a little bit better"

Weather that's eating a little bit better, lifting a little more weight, or running farther and faster. I don't ever do the same work-out. I always at least make attempt to do 'more' than I did the previous workout. Am I always successful....no, but most of the time I am. Is 'more' 2.5 lbs? Yes, But 2.5 lbs, 3 times a week is 7.5 lbs...which is quite a bit.

Make small changes, make small increases, and over time you'll be amazed at where you are. Today you're going to get a little bit better.

think48

My self talk that I give myself is the reality check that if I don't push myself, I may as well go back to bed. I'm just wasting my 45 minutes of time if I go to the gym and not break a sweat, or mosey around the weights and not feel the muscle burn. I went through years of doing that - going to the gym, not doing much, then saying "Well, at least I went. That counts for SOMEthing right?" Now, I realize, all those hours I logged in the gym got me nowhere and I could have been doing something fun with that time. When I only have my 45 minute block of time at the gym, I pound it now and make every minute worth it.

Happyoceangirl

Just wanted to report in and let you all know these ideas are helping already. Went for a run and toward the end (seriously, less than 1/8 of a mile left) I wanted to stop. Because I was tired. Wah. Poor Baby, right?

So kicked the self talk / mental coach into high gear.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT QUITTING!"
"MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE"
"MAKE A BETTER CHOICE"
"JUST FOR WHINING, YOU GET TO GO LONGER NOW!!!!"

I'm proud to report that did the trick. I pushed myself and hated every step - but man, I'm loving it NOW!! :drinker:

Happyoceangirl

Sorry - double post.

Think48 - that's a good one too - I've recently been of the mindset that doing it counts for something.... but I want it to count for so much more! Might as well go back to bed.... if I don't go all out. I'll use that next time. Thanks!:flowerforyou:

StacySkinny

Just wanted to report in and let you all know these ideas are helping already. Went for a run and toward the end (seriously, less than 1/8 of a mile left) I wanted to stop. Because I was tired. Wah. Poor Baby, right?

So kicked the self talk / mental coach into high gear.

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT QUITTING!"
"MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE"
"MAKE A BETTER CHOICE"
"JUST FOR WHINING, YOU GET TO GO LONGER NOW!!!!"

I'm proud to report that did the trick. I pushed myself and hated every step - but man, I'm loving it NOW!! :drinker:

Hahah! That's AWESOME! I'm so glad to hear that some of our advice helped! And remember - the more you let that mental coach speak the stronger she gets! And the easier it will be to trust her/yourself to go the extra distance and to push a little harder.