Fasting. No sweets, no cigarettes, no alcohol, no meat, or spending less time on the computer and with your phone? The good intentions for Lent are set, now it's time for implementation and perseverance. Michael Vaas wants to help with that. He is a certified mental coach and optimization expert in Neuler / Ostalbkreis.
Mr. Vaas, when it comes to fasting and abstaining, it's always the same: the mind says yes, the stomach says no. What ultimately determines who wins?
It always depends on your gut! Your mind wants to tell you what is reasonable, what others think, what experiences you have already had. Your gut tells you what you want to change specifically and achieve in your situation. We are often too distracted by opinions, social proofs, what others say, or have already tried. It is important to listen to your gut and follow your own path.
If the mind and gut are in this dilemma, does it mean that I have approached my intention wrong and may not be so convinced after all?
It rather shows that you are in a situation where you realize that you want or need to change something. The familiar structures, however, signal to you that everything should remain as it was. To resolve this inner dispute, you need to set a concrete goal and make a plan on how to achieve it. It can be very helpful to already imagine the positive effects these desired changes could have.
A new tip every week
Michael Vaas has prepared impulses to help you break out of your routine week by week and focus on your intentions for Lent. The tips show you how to implement these intentions every week. The most important thing for you is this consistent implementation and taking the time to think and then act.
What I plan to do during fasting will likely be uncomfortable, maybe even a little painful?
Unfortunately, this is a misconception that often prevents us from making necessary or desired behavioral changes. It is quite normal to fear change and be afraid of the unfamiliar. That's why we often only act when there is no other choice. However, changes are also an opportunity to break out of the daily routine, to do what we have always wanted to do. This also increases our mindfulness towards what we have already achieved, and we learn to appreciate it more. It is important to pause in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and ask yourself: How am I feeling? Where do I stand? What do I want to do more or less of?
Tip 2: Develop a strategy more
Tip 3: Overcoming setbacks more
Tip 4: Self-praise more
Tip 5: Don't give up now more
Tip 6: The Wish Book more
Tip 7: Taking stock more
Fasting - the first tip Press the stop button
How is the best way to proceed when you want to achieve a goal? For example, when it comes to fasting? Optimization expert Michael Vaas knows how to avoid certain psychological traps and how you can motivate yourself repeatedly.
A like Stop, that is the first step for your personal fasting period to be successful. Because stress, hustle, and the feeling of being controlled by others have (perhaps for too long) led you to feel that you should change something, but you just haven't managed to do so. You didn't have the time or the peace of mind to stop and think. However, this is necessary if you want to find your goal.
Now step out of the rat race! This doesn't mean you should quit your job and break all ties. Just a few minutes are enough for you to pause, withdraw, and in a very personal assessment ask yourself: Where am I today? What am I actually dissatisfied with? Where do I want to go?
For Lent, many people reevaluate their consumption of indulgences. Perhaps you also want to be less dependent on smartphones & Co., spend more time with family, or argue less with your partner. Develop a vision of the state you want to achieve. You now have six weeks to get there, but you must clearly define the goal today.
You can find the other 6 tips from the SWR4 series there:
Changing habits, finding yourself, we could do that at any time of the year. Does the predetermined time help?
You decide when to start! Rituals, like New Year's or now Lent, can give you an impulse to question certain things. You also know that Lent goes until Easter, so you have a specific timeframe for "your project." However, we must also realistically admit that in everyday life, it is often difficult to focus on what we have set out to do, so do not be disappointed if you don't succeed immediately. But you have the opportunity every day to set goals and make plans. If you did this at New Year's but couldn't realize it, you now have a new chance. It is important then to consider why it didn't work out. And you must weigh whether you want to take up those old resolutions again or set new ones.
More information about our Top100 Trainer Michael Vaas, can be found HERE
