New ‘New Year Resolutions’

Congratulations, you made it to 2022, great job! Give yourself a pat on the back for surviving 2021. Think about the start of 2021 for a minute… chances are you started the year with some New Year’s Resolutions, which is awesome, how did you go?

Setting resolutions are a great way to reflect on the things that you’ve done well and want to continue, and others which maybe haven’t gone too well, and you want to improve

You may have told yourself that ‘this year is going to be different! This year is going to be THE year where I achieve all my resolutions! This year is going to be the BEST YEAR EVER!”  and that’s awesome! But… you probably said that in 2020, and 2019, and maybe the years before that as well.  That is what most of us do, at the start of every year we set resolutions which, if we are successful, would change our life for the better.

But many of us just can’t get the resolutions to stick and there are many reasons for this.  It could be that the resolution or goal is too big, is not clear or defined, you don’t know where to start, or maybe you put it off until tomorrow to start.

There is a quote from Antoine De Saint-Exupery:

To make your New Year’s Resolutions stick you need to break them down into an actionable plan.  Envisioning your goal and the future you want helps to motivate and set your direction, but you need to know where to start, what is your first step? Taking lots of small steps, consistently, every day, can build momentum and take you further than you could have imagined.  Haven’t you heard? Slow and Steady wins the race! 

Another obstacle is procrastination.  When you are looking at a big goal that is a long way in the future, it is easy to say, ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ or it won’t matter if you skip a day.  Very quickly one day can turn into two days, a week and so on.  You need to hold yourself to accountable so that you don’t keep putting off your planned actions to take you towards your goal.

Here at 11:11, we avoid New Year’s Resolutions, we set goals, develop action plans and take consistent small steps towards them.  We also don’t wait for New Year, everyday offers new opportunities and possibilities, every day is the perfect day to start.  So, as we are now into 2022, what are your goals? what do you want to achieve this year? Let’s get started!

In the coming weeks we are launching a program to help you to take stock of your habits and to make sustainable changes that will move you towards the future that you desire. 

Let’s go!

Shaun

Reflection on 2021

It is hard to know where to start as I reflect on the year that was 2021.  It was full of many challenges, but it was still rewarding in so many ways.  2021 is filled with memories of lockdown, home-schooling, working from home and zoom parities…  which when all thrown together wasn’t a great mix!

I started the year with the intention to have courage, to lean into challenges and to take risks to step outside of my comfort zone.  I can safely say that I achieved that intention wholeheartedly and the rewards were immense and, in the process, I have expanded my comfort zone to make space for new and exciting opportunities that lay ahead. Starting 11:11 and leaving the public service after a very long time to pursue a new career opportunity are just two examples, which took a lot of courage to make the decision and jump. Interestingly, once I made my courageous decisions I felt at peace, there was no longer the turmoil of options running through my mind, and I haven’t looked back!

As our business expanded and our community started to grow, the personal feeling of fulfilment and excitement has also grown as we see our vision coming to life.  While lockdown may have slowed us down a little, it has also allowed us time to be purposeful and focussed on our vision and values as we build our business.  We loved supporting our community through a very challenging year, in particular offering online classes during lockdown when self-care was even more important.  The momentum has continued to build, and we are very excited to see where 2022 will take us.

As we entered lockdown in August I vowed to give myself a break, to be kind to myself, and to understand that not everything would get done.  Some days this was easy for me, I was able to was able to go with the flow of the home-schooling roller coaster and enjoyed eating lunch as a family in the winter sunshine, watching the birds and lizards in our garden.  But some days were really difficult, I couldn’t let go of wanting to get everything done, which was impossible to achieve.

While in lockdown, there was so much more time in each day, saved from missed activities and less time commuting, however I have never been so busy.  No matter how much time you have, it can be easily filled, and it is your choice how you use it.  You can use in pursuit to your priorities and goals, or you can spend it on what is the most ‘urgent’ or vocal on your to-do list.  As everything stripped away during lockdown it became easier for me to see that I was spending my time on busy tasks, however I also needed to carve out time for the less urgent activities that have the bigger long-term payoffs.  This is something that I am still working on as we move into 2022.

I learned the hard way not to ignore my body’s warning signs.  At the start of the year I pushed too hard, I ignored pain and failed to make time for rest and relaxation.  As a result, my health took a hit and I was forced to take a break.  Sitting doing ‘nothing’ is something that I am not comfortable with and having to allow others to help me was even harder.  I now know better, if I don’t respect my body and listen to what it is telling me, then I will miss out on even more than I miss out on having to take a break.

My daily gratitude journaling helped to keep me focussed on what is most important, before bed I write down 4-5 things that I am grateful for from the day (I started this habit during the first lockdown of 2019 and this has stayed with me).  Some nights it was easy and the gratitude flowed, other nights were harder and in those moments I use the exercise to remind myself that I have a lot to be grateful for, such as for my health and for the health of my family, for having access to good healthcare and for being able to provide for my family. Making time to for journaling beyond gratitude is something that I will take froward into 2022, I find it calming and helpful to gather my thoughts when they feel jumbled.

As the year is coming to an end the uncertainty over the ongoing pandemic is following us into 2022.  While we cannot know what the coming year has for us, we won’t forget 2021 in a hurry, and I hope we will take away learnings from the year.  For me it is the importance to listen to my body and make time for rest, to continue to live courageously, to journal more and to be mindful how I spend my time.

I hope you all can look back over 2021, to appreciate the challenges, the lessons learnt and remember with gratitude the good moments it gave you. 

Xo

Jo

Training during the festive season

The silly season is well and truly upon us! Not only are you likely to have a full social calendar between now and the end of the year, but also potentially the stress of end of year deadlines, Christmas shopping, travelling and not to mention disruption and uncertainty thanks to the global pandemic.

For many of us the festive season brings holidays, celebrations, time spent with loved ones whilst enjoying great food and drinks. It can also mean time away from home or your usual routine, which can be mentally tough, a period of heightened stress and anxiety for many.  2021 has been one of the most challenging years yet for many individuals and businesses, our mental and physical health may have been impacted.

With all the festivities at this time of year and whether you are travelling away or staying home, there are some key things that you can do to help keep your health and fitness progress, routine and goals on track. Yep, I’m saying that you can basically still have your cake and eat it to! There is no need to throw all your healthy habits out the door for the festive season… after all, your health doesn’t take holidays.

You may find that you’re training naturally reduces over this period, this may be due to competing activities, hangovers or travel. Don’t let this be a source of stress for you, it can actually be a good thing. If you’re training normally involves heavy lifting or high impact activities, periods of rest help to provide a chance for your joints and muscles to recover. Periods of lower intensity exercise or reduced training load assists in rebalancing hormones, allows adequate time for muscles to repair and further aids in recovery.

Our bodies have adaptive mechanisms that respond to the ways in which we train. If you undertake regular exercise for extended periods of time, your body adapts to the forms of training, the energy systems targeted, and you may notice a plateau in your strength, fitness, and/or weight loss. Taking a period to ‘tone down’ your training allows your bodies adaptive mechanisms to reset, ridding the body of fatigue and allowing it to recover fully. Research has shown that periods of reduced activity followed by a return to regular training results in increased weight loss, supports strength and fitness goals.

Also, muscle memory is a thing! Whilst you may feel you lose muscle tone or mass during periods of decreased training, rest assured that when you return to your normal training routine muscle memory will assist in restoring your tone and mass and you will not be starting from scratch. 

However, this is not a free pass to sit back and do nothing.  It is important for your physical and mental health to incorporate some form of daily movement or physical activity.  Take advantage of the sunshine and longer days to use this time of year to try new or different things, you may find something that you love and want to add into your fitness program when you get back into it in 2022.  Get up early and get outdoors to go for a walk or run to explore the area, whether that is your usual local area, or you may be taking in new places and fresh scenery in your travels.  If you are away, you may be able to head to the local beach for a surf, or the swimming pool – exercise doesn’t always need to be structured. Organising to catch up with family or friends in the form of exercise serves two purposes – movement and connection!

Most importantly, take advantage of the break, reconnect with loved ones and enjoy some well-earned rest, balanced with some form of movement.

 

My yoga journey (so far)

Over time yoga has become a fundamental part of my life, this didn’t happen overnight and continues to build with each and every practice. Recently I was thinking back across my yoga journey, and I noticed how far I have come and how much I have learnt about myself along the way. Yet, I know there is even more to learn and experience ahead of me.

I first heard of yoga when I was at college. Some of my friends were going to classes and asked me to come along. Naively I didn’t see any benefit in ‘just stretches’ and I didn’t give it another thought.

While I was at university a friend of mine convinced me to come along to a weekly yoga class as she didn’t want to go by herself, I figured it couldn’t hurt to give yoga a go. It was a mid-week evening class held in a room at a local school (I love the full circle, as I now teach a mid-week class at a local school). After once class I was kicking myself, I felt so good and it wasn’t ‘just stretches’ as I had previously thought.

After this I started going to yoga classes at my local gym and I loved how my body was feeling after the classes, but I didn’t grasp the mental and spiritual benefits. As a result I would rush off after class, often skipping Savasana, which I now know is the most important part of the class! I did yoga like this for about 10 or so years.

Fast forward to 2014 when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and my focus turned to finding a exercise regime that would help me to keep my blood sugar under control. I would go for walks and hit the treadmills at the gym thinking this was what I ‘should’ do, despite my deep dislike for this type of exercise. As a result I was causing more stress in my life, which was counterproductive to my goal of balancing my blood sugar.

From the treadmill at the gym I saw signs going up for a new yoga space across the road from the gym and I would watched as people came out from the studio carrying their yoga mats. I desperately wanted to go to the studio, but I assumed it was just for people who were ‘good’ at yoga. I laugh writing this, as I now know there is no such thing. Yoga practice is never good or bad, it is just a practice.

Finally, I worked up the courage to step foot in the yoga studio, signing up for a new student pass which allowed me to try different classes. One week in I cancelled my gym membership and I have never stepped foot in a gym again! I was hooked. I found supportive and knowledgeable teachers who provided a safe space for my practice. I soaked up as much as I could, attending as many classes I could a week, I was blown away by what I was learning about myself and how my body was feeling. While the physical benefits were incredible, it was the mental and emotional benefits that I loved the most.

I wanted to learn more, I started to read and learn more about yoga. The more I learnt, the more I wanted to know, so I started to look for a yoga teacher training and connected with Rachel Zinman, from Yoga for Diabetes. I couldn’t believe the alignment to what I was looking for in yoga teacher training. After many false starts, I got an email out of blue inviting me to attend Rachel’s training in South Africa (read more when I stepped outside my comfort zone), which is one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

Throughout my training I loved diving deeper and deeper into the theology and history. When I finished I knew I wanted to teach, but I was hesitant to jump in, wanting to integrate the trainings into my personal practice first. So I continued to attend regular classes at the studio, until one day I was asked if I would like to teach and if I could take the Sunday Restorative class.

This was my favourite class of the week. Despite feeling unable to fill the shoes of the teachers that come before me, I took the plunge and the opportunity to teach this class. I remember driving to my first class as a teacher, I realised that I wasn’t nervous, I felt calm and ready. I still love teaching this class and sharing the benefits with that I have felt as a student before.

Earlier this year I started teaching my first class through 11:11 and started building my own community of students, I am incredibly grateful to be able to teach and continue to share what I have learnt in my yoga journey. I know that ahead of me in this journey will be more trainings, further learning and exploration and I’m excited to see what it uncovers along the way.

This is a longer blog than normal, so thank you for reading along. I would love to connect with you along your yoga journey.

Xo

Jo

Kickstart Your Restart

We are lucky to be slowly emerging from lockdown in Canberra.  With that comes the need to find what the new normal looks like. While some things will return to normal quickly, others will take more time, or may never be the same again.  The same goes for our routines and habits.

You may feel you should get back to the gym, or return to the exercise program that you had before lockdown and this may seem a very daunting task after so many weeks confined to our homes.  Before you get started, take the time to consider what your new normal looks like for your exercise program.

Before you start, make sure to check in with your goals and reassess them for who you are today (not pre-lockdown you), are they still relevant?  What has changed in your life?  What are your priorities now?  What time and resources to you have available to you? Knowing your goals sets the direction you are heading, which you need to know before you work out how you are going to get there.  Setting goals takes time and thought, seeking the help of a coach can assist you to establish goals in alignment with your values and priorities.

With your goals clearly in mind, now you can look at how best you can work towards achieving them. There are a few things you can consider to guide the best way for you to restart your exercise program.

Firstly, look at the habits that you created during lockdown. What did you enjoy doing, what did you start doing, and which of these habits will serve you outside of lockdown? It may be your daily exercise, involved a walk with the dog, or a family bike ride, or something that you haven’t tried before. If you enjoyed it during lockdown, then keep doing it, there’s no need to stop just because lockdown is ending.

Secondly, think back to the start of lockdown, what did you miss the most? Was it the connection from exercising with your friends? Was it the weight training to build your strength? These could be the first things to add back into your program once restrictions lift.  On the flip side, what were you glad to have a break from? Were you secretly happy to stay in bed and skip the 6am workout or relieved to have a break from large group classes. Reflecting on what you missed and didn’t miss will give you insight into what works best for you.  Choosing to align with your exercise preferences will make your routine more enjoyable and sustainable. 

Finally, it is time to look for what is available that aligns with your exercise preferences and is inspiring for you.  Your post lockdown routine can be reimagined for focus on your new goals, there is no expectation that it will look like your routine pre-lockdown, as this my no longer serve you.  Keeping the lockdown routines that you enjoyed and introducing new activities aligned to your exercise preferences will make your post lockdown program fun, engaging and maintainable.     

Taking the time to consider these things will help to to work out how you want to establish your post-lockdown exercise routine that aligns with your new goals, leverages successful lockdown habits and finds new activities aligned to your personal exercise preferences.  This will give you the greatest chance of success and give a kickstart to your restart.

If you need help to identify your preferences, need accountability or motivation to create your new routine, please connect with us and we would love to support you to reach for your goals.

Busy

Busy does not equal productive and it is not a badge of honour to proudly display. Yet, often when people ask, how is your day going? ‘Busy’ is the answer we give. That is not even answering the question posed, busy is not good or bad.

I have to admit, I have found myself at a lost end today, it a Sunday in lockdown and it is quiet. Most of the housework is done, I have done all the business tasks for the weekend, other than walking the dog and my yoga class, there is not much planned for the rest of the day. It is funny that when I realised there was not much to do, the first thing I did was think through the long list of household jobs that I just don’t ever get around to… the kids rooms need sorting out, there are pictures to be hung on the walls and the back hedge needs trimming. Why am I so conditioned to look for things to do and not think of what I could do to relax?

Instead, I could get to books by the side of my bed waiting to be read, the TV shows on Netflix I want to watch, or simply sitting in the sunshine watching the birds. However, these do not cross my mind because it is conditioned to be busy.

So many of the things that I busy myself are definitely not urgent, many are unimportant, yet they satisfy my need to feel busy.

I have learnt the hard way that burning myself out does not end well. My body gives me strong signals when it has had enough. Yet, I often wait for the pain in my back or for my blood sugar to plunge to force me to sit and relax.

I am trying hard to change this habit and it will take time to break as it is deeply ingrained behaviour. However, I am committed to devoting more time to rest and to myself. The irony is that in times of quiet and rest is when I get inspired and it is how I create energy for the things I love.

So I challenge you, don’t wait for your body to tell you that it is burnt out and needs to rest. Make time to rest and to do the things you find relaxing. And next time someone asks how your day is, answer ‘it is good/great/fun’, not ‘it is busy’.

Xo

Jo

Time is precious

Time is our most precious resource. You cannot ever create more and, once it is gone, you cannot get it back. We have 24 hours a day, 168 hours in a week and 8760 hours in a year, but how many years we have is unknown and limited. This is not intended to be morbid, but to open your eyes to the fact that you can never create more time, but you can look at where you are spending it now.

We make careful decisions around how we spend our money (some of us more than others) but how often do we sit back and consider the time cost of our activities and commitments to decide if they are worth the investment of our time.

While we may regularly say we don’t have time, generally if something is a priority for us or urgent, there is always a way to find time. This can be done in a healthy or unhealthy way. Cutting back on the time spent sleeping or for recreation is often first step, which longterm will impact your wellbeing, but are there other ways you can ‘make’ time

This week Shaun and I compared the weekly screen time on our phones, neither of us were happy to see how much time we had spent on our phones. Our devices can become huge time sucks, taking a few minutes here and there, adding up to hours a day. How often have you picked up your phone to check a notification and spent the next hour scrolling through social media? We have both promised to be more mindful of our screen time to see what impact this can have on our perceived lack of time.

My beautiful grandmother gave me the advice when my daughter was a baby to sit on the floor and play with her and that everything else can wait. She was so wise. I try to live by this as much as I can, the time when they are babies and want to play is so limited and comes to an end very quickly. I do not regret a single minute I have spent playing games or building Lego and I certainly don’t regret the loads of washing or cleaning that had to wait.

We often overestimate what we can do in an day, but underestimate what can be done in smaller periods of time. Five or ten minutes of focussed effort can produce amazing results and these results compound over time. You may not be able to find an hour for an activity, but you may be able to get started with five or ten minutes. I find this approach can build great momentum and lead to fantastic long term results.

Next time you find yourself stressed, unable to do something or progess due to a perceived lack of time, take a moment to look at where your time is going to and ask yourself, how can I make this a priority? Also you have 288 five minute blocks in a day, where can you find five minutes to get started?

Be careful with your time and spend it on what matters for you.

Xo

Jo

HIIT in Lockdown

Consistency is a foundation of any fitness routine but doing the same thing day in and day out can get stale quickly. Add in lockdown restrictions and staying motivated can be really difficult.  Changing up your training helps to keep your workout fresh and fun, which is more likely to keep you motivated and as a bonus it challenges your body in different ways.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions are popular because they give you exercise variation which is key for better muscle development and fat loss. But, what exactly do these techniques do for your body and how can HIIT help in your health and wellbeing journey?

There are many different types of HIIT methods, three that we work with are: Tabata (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off; four minutes); EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute); and AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible).

TABATA – Tabata is a type of HIIT which has the dial set at full intensity. Tabata is an interval exercise that follows eight rounds of movement — 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for a total of four minutes.  Since the rest time is so limited your endurance is really tested, and over time, you’ll see it build and you can gradually start adding in additional Tabata cycles! A Tabata workout should push you to maximum exertion and leave you exhausted.

AMRAP – As Many Reps As Possible – In AMRAP workouts everyone gets to work at their own pace, so you’re only ever competing against yourself to complete as many rounds or reps in the allotted time. It’s also a great way to measure your progress over time.  As you work at your own pace, you may complete two rounds on your first session but after a few months, you might get through four.

EMOM – Every Minute On the Minute – This is a type of interval workout which involves doing a specific task at the start of every minute. For example, you may do ten push ups, which could take you 30 seconds to finish them, meaning that you’ve got another 30 seconds to recover before the next set. Sounds easy, right? As the rounds go on you might find yourself getting more tired so it gets harder to finish the set quickly in order to get that break. That’s when the real work starts, tapping into those reserves and teaching the body to recover quicker and to take in oxygen more efficiently.

The good thing about EMOM is that it’s an easy means of measuring progress. You might start off struggling to finish your exercise before having to start the next set but before too long, you’ll start to gain more recovery time as you get fitter, and you’ll find that you can go for more sets before you get tired.

HIIT training can be an efficient way to get your daily exercise, adding in variation and challenge to build your endurance and strength overtime.  You can measure your progress and have some healthy competition with yourself to keep progressing, increasing your reps or speed.

All these techniques can be done at home, with very little equipment.  We are having great fun working with our clients online to tailor sessions to their needs and to what equipment they have available at home to train with.  There really is no excuse to let your fitness slip during lockdown. 

We would love to connect with you if you need that extra bit of motivation and we can tailor an online session for you.

Working From Home Wellbeing

Here in Canberra we have just finished our first full week of lockdown and it is looking like many of us will continue to work from home for a while.

Firstly I want to acknowledge all the essential workers who are still going into their workplaces to keep essential services going, keeping us safe, healthy and fed. We are grateful for all you do.

For those of us who are working, and potentially schooling, from home it is incredibly important that we all take care of ourselves during this time.  Keeping connected, creating healthy routines and managing our stress is vital. 

As you settle into your working from home routine, take a moment to consider what you can add in your daily routine to support your health and wellbeing.  Here are some small adjustments or additions to your day that can have huge benefits:

  • Schedule your 1 hour of exercise – we only get one hour outside the house to exercise each day, so blockout time in your day to get this exercise while the sun is out. When we schedule activities, we are more likely to complete them
  • Keep a glass of water on your desk and refill it regularly – this will keep you hydrated, but when you get up to refill it regularly gives you added movement. We should stand up from our seated position at least every 30-40 minutes and this is an easy reminder or prompt to get up.
  • Take stretch breaks – moving and stretching our body will help to counter the long periods of time spent seated and working on the computer. I like to stand and stretch while waiting from my online meetings to connect and I have rolled out a yoga mat next to my desk as a visual reminder.
  • Have your coffee breaks away from technology, find a peaceful spot in your home or garden to enjoy the taste of your coffee, the feeling of the sun on your skin and listen to the sounds around you. By disconnecting from technology, you can reconnect with yourself.
  • Have virtual breaks with your workmates – arranging a time to stop for a cuppa or lunch together as a team, just as you did while in the office. This keeps your connection and check in with each other.
  • Place structure around your workday – this will help you to set and keep boundaries and have a separation between work and leisure. Maintain a regular routine of when you start and finish work and have a dedicated workspace, that once you leave for the day, can help you mentally switch off from work.

These are some ideas from me and you may have other ideas to support your wellbeing. Most important is that you find ways look after yourself and your loved ones.

Take care,

Jo

Scheduling your exercise

How many meetings and appointments do you have booked in your diary this week?   Are any of these with yourself or investing time into your health and wellbeing?

Scheduling tasks is a behavioural trick to help you to successfully create new and lasting habits.  When you schedule a task you are making a commitment of your time and you are declaring your intention to do something, which increases your chance of success.

To make progress towards your health and wellbeing goals you need to commit to taking steps towards them.  These steps can be big or small, but consistency is key.  When it comes to setting up an exercise routine, some days it may be a 10 minute walk in the sunshine at lunchtime and another day it could be an intense workout in the gym.  The short and long term benefits are significant when you commit to regular exercise.

Taking the time to plan and schedule your exercise schedule is important.  For added motivation here are some of the top benefits you will see from committing to a regular exercise schedule:  

1. Improved muscle strength – this takes time to build up over time and has so many benefits outside the gym in your everyday activities.  

2. Boost your endurance – the more regularly you do something, the easier it becomes and longer you are able to keep doing it.  

3. Control you weight – Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or maintain weight loss.  When you engage in physical activities you burn calories and the more intense the activity the more calories you burn.  

4. Fight health conditions and diseases – Regular exercise keeps your blood flowing which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases, and it also helps prevent or manage many health conditions including. stroke, high blood pressure, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, anxiety and falls.   

5. Improved mood – Physical activity stimulates the feel good brain chemicals that increase your mood, leaving you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious

6. Boost Energy – It is a common misconception, ‘i don’t have enough energy for exercise’, however exercise can increase your overall energy levels as it delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently.  

7. Promotes better sleep – Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get a better and deeper sleep.  However, don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energised to go to sleep, go for a gentle yoga practice  in the evenings to wind down for sleep.

So take a moment now and look at your diary, where do you want to schedule time to invest in your long term health?  Plan your week in advance and spread your exercise activities throughout the week, choosing activities that you enjoy and that will take you closer to your health and wellbeing goals.  

If you don’t know where to start, reach out to us for a chat, we’d be happy to help