Blackmailing Myself to Exercise

What I do to make myself workout when I am actively dreading it? It’s simple. Pretend you are parenting your inner child. Use bargaining and future results. It works for me, let me know if you try it yourself!

Get to your why- I need to workout for my mental health. Exercise can help us all with any anxiety or depressive symptoms. The sudden release of endorphins after you have sweat is lifechanging. The decrease in stress, blood pressure and glucose control afterwards, is incredible.

Stop talking yourself out of it. I count down from 5, and on 0, I have to get up. Action causes Action. And I can totally provide enough excuses to talk myself out of anything. On the way home from work, I have my gym bag packed in the backseat and I have to swing by the gym on the way home. Its a lot harder to talk myself out of it if it is convenient. (I also pack my gym bag the night before and put it in the foyer so I can’t miss it.)

I just have to show up and do the bare minimum, its not going to be my best work, but that’s ok, I’m getting my blood moving. I just need to check the box. As long as I’m putting forth effort, I am reinforcing that this is a priority for my goals and I am improving myself just a little bit. A little bit is all it takes to make a lifelong difference.

You can do it, you just have to bargain with your inner child. Think back to the “Why“, make it convenient, and sometimes you just need to check a box and move on.

Life moves on and every bit counts! Keep it up!