I use mantras ALL the time. Rather than using them while sitting cross-legged and meditating, I use them as little motivation assistants when I’m at work and talking myself out of a workout, or when I’m on the couch feeling low energy.
They interrupt my thoughts and get me re-focused on what I know makes me feel really good.
A mantra is like a mini focus phrase. It’s a helpful tool to have in our back pockets for those moments when our mind needs convincing and our to do list is piling up all over the place. You know, the times when we feel like we just don’t have time for a workout, or we just don’t feel like exercising. Those are the times when mantras are super effective.
Here are some of the mantras I use to help me get my workouts in more consistently.
Mantra #1. Done is better than perfect.
While we may think perfection is a helpful tool, it’s actually a huge motivation killer. Waiting for conditions to be perfect in order for us to be consistent with our workouts is a recipe for disaster.
If we wait until we feel like working out, we will spend a lot more time waiting than exercising.
If we wait until we’ve got enough time to do a 60 minute workout, we won’t be nearly as consistent as if we embrace the benefits of a regular 20 or 30 minute workout habit.
Doing a workout and getting it DONE is a much better strategy for consistency than waiting/needing the conditions to be perfect or ideal.
Mantra #2. Something is better than nothing.
Little bits add up to great outcomes. Daily walks, taking the stairs, doing 20 minute strength workouts and bringing exercise bands on our holidays are all helpful ways to feel really good in our bodies.
We don’t need every workout to be an hour long with a full length warm-up and cool down. Yes, it’s great to get in some longer workouts when we can, but let’s build the foundation of our strategy on consistent sweat sessions (like 3-5 times per week) even if they are short in duration.
Hanging with my girl at the park after a 15 minute Super Band workout.
Mantra #3. Just start.
This is the mantra I use most often. Let’s say I’m behind my desk at work and I can think of all the reasons why I should skip my workout for the day (tons to do, don’t have the energy, haven’t completed enough tasks for the day), this is the mantra I use to get myself into sweat mode.
I always feel better when I’m done my workout. I always return to work with more focus, energy and intention. I know that the consistency of my workouts is the thing that helps me achieve my goals and gain all the positive benefits of exercise.
So I tell myself regularly to JUST START. Just put your shoes on. Just start the music. Just sit on the bike and get your legs going for your warm-up. And it’s this mantra that carries me into the gym and back to myself.
Mantra #4. Meet yourself where you’re at, not where you think you should be.
After injuries, pregnancy, healing from a complicated c-section and blood loss, this was my mantra. My identity was so caught up in being a fit and strong person, it was incredibly challenging to scale my workouts back to where I was at.
If you are currently not at your fittest, use this mantra! It will help you exercise with greater safety and smarts. You will be much less likely to overdo it, much less likely to re-injure yourself and much more likely to enjoy your workout. Then you’ll be able to build upon where you are at and grow into greater strength and fitness in your future.
I hope you’ll use these mantras as much as I do. They truly help me to exercise more consistently, have better energy and prioritize my self-care.
To your success,
Lana xox
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