Creating a Health Blog to Keep You Motivated
Time and time again we fool ourselves into thinking we need to wait for motivation to strike when it comes to getting something done. And we wait, and we wait, and we wait. The tricky thing about motivation is that it typically doesn’t come out of thin air. The act of getting started is what will kick motivation into high gear, and the more we can make ourselves do the dreaded thing, whatever that thing is, will pay off in multiple ways. It really is true that getting started is most often the hardest part.
Chances are you’ve been thinking of upping your fitness game for years and have probably made various attempts at taking control of your health. New habits can be hard to acquire, and your friends and family probably aren’t all that interested in joining you. Thanks to online communities, it’s never been easier to find a tribe to share in common interests.
Planning for Success
The technical aspects of setting up a blog may or may not be appealing to you, but a little homework can go a long way. Decisions must be made regarding self-hosting and acquiring a domain name. Beyond that, you’ll need to choose a theme that fits your fitness niche. This is where checking out the competition can go a long way. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, but it is a good idea to know what successful health and fitness blogs are publishing.
Decide how personal you want to be. This is a choice that will stem from your comfort level with self-disclosure. A blog that is more informative can still be highly motivating to you as the content provider, but letting your personality shine through will likely be the spark that keeps readers coming back for more. Most importantly, come up with a plan for how often you will post. Once a week is a safe starting point. It’s a good idea to come up with an editorial calendar as well with somewhere between 3-7 main categories for the content of your posts.
Gaining Accountability
A little support can go a long way, which is why blogging can be a boon in that capacity. However, it also takes work on your behalf to find and interact with readers. Setting both short-term and long-term goals can go a long way in holding yourself accountable. Yet, it’s a necessity to hold a good sense of humor as well and not be too hard on yourself when you don’t meet a goal. Always remember to apply the 80/20 rule. Falling off the bandwagon one day a week just means you get back on it the next. Don’t give up and be kind to yourself. Also, have fun!
Various apps may or may not also help play a role in keeping your motivating and upping your accountability. It doesn’t hurt to try them, and this can also give you a source of reviews to post on your blog. However, be mindful about how much devotion and app takes to update and if those notifications and need to submit constant updates truly motivates or becomes a drag. If anything becomes a drag, stop doing it.
Trying New Fitness Activities
Maybe you’ve shied away from joining a gym due to associations with muscle heads using daunting equipment or an utter lack of coordination when it comes to trying Zumba or REFIT or even yoga. Guess what? Nobody is going to mind or even notice much at all if you’re out of your comfort zone!
Beyond the gym, life is full of potential activities to try that will up your fitness game. All of these are topics that can be written about as well. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try running in a race, riding a horse, or whitewater rafting. There is no better time than the present to give it a go. If you’re thinking that nobody could possibly find your experiences interesting, think again. Not only can sharing help keep us motivated, it also connects us on the most basic level of being human.
Sharing Healthy Recipes
Maintaining a blog and regularly publishing content actually provides a fantastic excuse to research new recipes, tweak them, and also post them on your blog to share with others. This can be a great excuse to try more vegetarian and low-calorie dishes you may have never considered trying before. Get into the habit of taking a few pictures with your phone as you cook, and you’ll have photos ready when it comes time to share on your blog. Changing eating habits can be especially hard, but a whole new world of food will soon open up once you are open to exploring it.
Exploring the Mind-Body Connection
Self-care is of the utmost importance. If you don’t have a healthy mind, it’s likely you’ll never truly have a healthy body. Not getting enough sleep will have a negative impact on almost every area of your life as well not properly tending to stress. A health blog can be a great chance to share what it’s like to acquire a meditation habit or what it feels like to truly indulge yourself in a spa day or weekly massage. So much in life will fall in line if you prioritize taking care of you.
A health blog can also be a great way motivate yourself to read books on fitness and mindfulness. The positives far outweigh the negatives. We live in a world that loves to share, so share the journey of how you are in the process of becoming a better you.
What other advice would you add when it comes to creating a health blog to keep you motivated?