Xmas xcess and rich pickings for a coach

In my previous life as a personal trainer in Paris one of my busiest times of year used to be January. I dealt with people who had gone overboard at Christmas. Having hauled themselves away from another scene of culinary carnage, weighed down by foie gras, good wine and a rich heritage of cheese they examine their lives with a faint feeling of nausea. Unable to move they had no choice but to reflect back on the previous year. On January 1st it’ll be time to change….

Actually things are not so different for me since I gave up the physical fitness side of my practise. People still get overdo it over xmas and want help to see the coming year in a new way, which often involves discussion and the putting together of plans with dreams or values.

I consider myself a good coach – that is I aim to do my job well and thus put myself out of a job pretty quickly. If the above scenario seems familiar to you and undesirable then read on as I plan to put myself out of a job.

Our perceptions of things and the decisions we make are state related. In a state of toxic overload it’s a lot harder to look at your life and feel good, resourceful and able to cope with challenges than after some exercise. I am not about to start praising the virtues of brisk walks, and bracing cold baths in the mornings – but I think you get the point..

So in preparation for Xmas here is a mental strategy you can apply in all sorts of activities, and works especially well with food. When you are choosing to do something expand the time frame of your decision . Whether it’s eating, asking for cigarette, staying up all night with that Calvados you brought back from Deauville. Don’t just think of how good it will as you relish the texture and the aroma of each mouthful. Think longer term. How will you feel just after you’ve eaten or drunk. Extend the time frame along to January 1st when you look at yourself in the mirror, or stand on the scales, or pull on your favourite jeans.

If you like the way you’ll feel longer term then go for it. If not choose something that you will feel good after.

Of course for this strategy to work well you have to start by feeling good. If you feel awful already then what’s just one more moelleux au chocolat?

So in the run up to Xmas make sure you do things that make you feel good, and keep doing them through the festive season. My choice is martial arts and meditation – but you’ll know what helps you feel light, clear and in tune. The idea is to feel so good from healthy activity that the tempting but unhealthy things simply lose their appeal. I recognise they feel bad in comparison.

So try it out, have a great Xmas and do not call me in January!