Since Louise made a New Year's resolution to practise yoga daily, her health, energy and wellbeing have soared.
"In my 20s, I was a professional ballet dancer, so I’ve always stayed fit doing Pilates and cycling. But in my 40s, I was doing constant interstate travel and working long days as an executive coach and some of my good health habits started falling away.
"So in 2017, I made a resolution to make more quality time for myself. Unlike other years when I’d set goals to cut out drinking or get more sleep, that year my resolution was holistic and all about nurturing my mind/body health.
"At the time, I had just spent the previous year working long, intense and busy days in the lead-up to launching our new business, called Transition Hub, which helps people transition into new and meaningful roles.
"I wanted to keep up the pace, but I didn’t want to burn out. So I decided to start practising regular yoga to ensure I had quality ‘offline’ time every day. To stick to that goal, I had to become as organised about yoga as I am about my work commitments. I scheduled it in just like I would schedule an important work meeting.
"On some days, I did classes and on others, if I was away, I used website links to follow online sessions or did my own self-devised yoga flow sessions in my hotel room on a towel.
"It doesn’t sound very revolutionary but that one change alone has had incredible positive knock-on benefits for my entire health and wellbeing. Even though I was fit, I noticed that I felt more aligned and flexible. When taking a meeting or delivering a program with clients, I felt calm and present."
"Yoga also took me back to my ballet posture and I started to stand and sit more upright. It ironed out back and neck pain that had built up over time from stress. My breathing also changed and became slower and deeper and more even. And my sleep improved, too – I went to sleep easily and slept more soundly, then woke up feeling more refreshed.
"At the same time, I felt far more grounded and centred. Taking time to be still really helped to re-energise me and that spilled over into all aspects of my life, so I actually became even more productive and could also get through much more every day.
"Two years on, I still practise yoga regularly and enjoy the ongoing health benefits. After juggling lots of different balls all day, I look forward to that time to be present on the mat and enjoy the moving meditation of the different stretches, postures and yoga flows. While I’m doing yoga, I don’t feel any stress in my body, or chatter in my mind, as the stress just starts to melt away.
"Being disciplined about doing yoga has made me more mindful, so that every day I’m more able to just be in the here and now. That has benefited my relationships in a big way, because it helps me close the door on work and enjoy being present with friends and family. I’m constantly grateful that I made that New Year’s resolution – I just wish I’d done it years ago.”
Rev up your resolve
To turn your New Year’s resolution into a reality, Melbourne-based psychologist, Meredith Fuller, suggests you:
• Focus on no more than two goals at once.
• Start this week – this will give you a quick win that makes you feel you’re on the road to change.
•Timeline goals – if your goal is to go jogging to get fit, set both weekly and monthly goals: Go jogging regularly two days this week, start a weekend running group with girlfriends this month and then train for a charity fun run over three months.
• Recognise and challenge negative thoughts like, “This is too hard.” Instead, tell yourself, “I’ve got this,” and “I’m strong and can do it.”
• Be your own cheerleader – keep a diary of your achievements and mentally celebrate them.
• Create a support team of friends and family and ask them for a pep talk if your motivation starts to wane.
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