Change Academy

Earlier this month, I sat down with Kelly Howard of the Fit is Freedom podcast. You may remember Kelly from a Change Academy episode on how incorporating more fun and adventure can help you be more consistent about your fitness practice.

Kelly invited me back to the Fit is Freedom podcast to share some tips with her listeners on how to enjoy the upcoming the holiday season without throwing all of our healthy habits and progress under the bus. I thought you would be interested in hearing this conversation as well. So, with Kelly’s permission, I’m sharing that episode here with you.

I share a couple of specific strategies that I find useful at this time of year...one is a mindset shift. The other is straight up tactical. We also talk a bit about the 30 Day nutrition upgrade that’s coming up on November 8th—because that program is part of my answer to the question of how to stay on track even with all the disruption and opportunities to indulge that come with the holidays.

If you haven’t yet registered for the 30 Day Nutrition Upgrade, you can do that at changeacademhypodcast.com/upgrade (or just click on the link in the show notes).

Mentioned:

Fit is Freedom podcast

30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th)

In the previous episode, I talked about some of the things that can go wrong when we put corporations in charge of our wellbeing. In this episode, I share an example of what it looks like when it goes right, and how corporate-sponsored wellbeing programs can actually have a very positive impact on individuals and workers as well as on the company’s bottom line.

Lindsey Soroka is a registered dietitian and works as a health promotion specialist for a major national corporation, where she’s in charge of (among other things) engaging the employees in wellness education, services, and programming.

Lindsey and I first worked together when her company brought me in to offer the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade program to their employees, Afterward, we sat down to talk about what she’s learned about motivating people and why major corporations want to invest in wellbeing programming.

But there are valuable lessons for all of us in this conversation. In particular, I hope you catch the ways in which our efforts to enhance our own wellbeing can ripple out into our families, workplaces, and communities.

Key Takeaways

• Companies are in business to be profitable, but the smart ones recognize that in order to thrive as a company, they need a healthy, stable and well-resourced workforce.
• If you are feeling burned out or overwhelmed at work, you may not feel like you have the bandwidth to explore your employers’ wellness resources but this is actually the time they may be most valuable (and your employer really does want you to use them).
• When trying to establish new behaviors, a short-term commitment can make it feel more doable. But a good short-term challenge will be designed with the long tail in mind.
• Doing something as part of a group really helps to foster a sense of wellbeing and connection. And it helps you stick with it.
• Reaching out to someone who’s had a positive impact on you not only means the world to them but can also benefit your own mental and physical health. Be on the lookout for opportunities to do that.

Mentioned

30 Day Nutrition Upgrade (starts November 8th)

Contact Monica to discuss corporate wellness programming

A lot of employers and health insurers are now offering wellbeing apps and portals. They're obviously hoping that giving people tools to help them manage their health conditions and nudge them toward healthy behaviors will reduce health care costs.

I recently checked out the wellbeing app offered by my own health insurance company. I actually think that some of the well-meaning but poorly-conceived prompts could be doing more harm than good.

To be fair, figuring out how to nudge people to adopt healthier habits is a hard nut to crack. In this episode, I share five ideas on how we can design behavioral interventions that are more effective as well as more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable. I also have an opportunity for you to see these principles in action.

Key Takeaways

1. People not only need to believe that what you’re asking them to do will benefit them, they also need to feel confident that they can actually do it.
2. People cannot pay attention to everything. Therefore, you need to help them pay attention to the right things.
3. Don’t just discourage the negative; promote positive behaviors.
4. All-or-nothing approaches (or mindsets) rarely lead to long-term change.
5. We tend to over-estimate the impact of our most extreme behaviors. In fact, it is your most typical behavior that determines your results. Focus on those.

Mentioned

Nutrition GPA app

Register for the 30-Day Nutrition Upgrade

More info for Coaching Partners

Not only is it fun to share success stories, but there’s always something valuable to learn by hearing how people navigate the process of change. In this episode, one of our clients share some reflections on how has she approached her goals– and some of the surprising benefits that happened along the way.

Two things that I want you listen for:

1. Stephanie wasn’t just looking to create a certain result. She was specifically interested in making a change that would be durable. She didn’t just want to hit a goal, she wanted to create a new way of approaching challenges. (Spoiler alert: she succeeded!)
2. The other thing I want you to hear is the decision Stephanie made to not let discomfort be an an excuse for giving up. As you’re listening, ask yourself what discomfort you might be willing to lean into in order to achieve something meaningful to you.

More things to listen for

• Making your choices more intentional
• Find more freedom by embracing a spirit of experimentation
• The surprising pay off from being less efficient
• Transferring accountability from external sources to internal motivation
• A process that allows you to sustain habits when the circumstances of your life change
• When you’re committed to your objective, obstacles are not reasons to quit, just challenges to incorporate.

Mentioned in this episode

Weighless Program

Nutrition Diva podcast

Nutrition GPA app

30 Day Nutrition Upgrade

Ep 11: Attention Intention Action cycle

Email me your definition of success (and your primary obstacle)

Send me a voicemail

Discover why viewing change as a lifelong journey is not just realistic, but liberating and exciting. Learn how to reframe personal growth as evolution rather than 'fixing' yourself, and explore the powerful concept of change as a form of self-expression. Whether you're working on health, finances, relationships, or any other area of life, this episode will equip you with a new perspective on sustainable personal development.

Key Takeaways:

1. Develop your 'change muscles': The ability to change is a skill that improves with practice and transfers across different areas of life.
2. Adopt a flexible mindset: Life is dynamic, so our approach to change should be adaptable rather than rigid.
3. Reframe change as evolution: Instead of 'fixing' what's broken, focus on growing into who you want to become.
4. Shift from 'doing' to 'being': Align your actions with your desired identity for more sustainable change.
5. View ongoing change as self-expression: Your growth journey is a unique way of expressing your values and aspirations.

Interested in having Monica present at your next live or virtual event? Learn more.