You may wonder why on earth I am talking about summer now, after all it’s only the middle of March! (even that is scary!) Well now is the ideal time to make your summer easier! In this video and in the blog below, I explain how you can do this by building good habits, the power of visualisation, and creating neural pathways.

Let’s start with visualisation. When you create a clear mental image of what you want your summer to look like, you activate a part of your brain called the reticular activating system. This part of the brain is responsible for filtering information and focusing on what’s important. By visualising your ideal summer, you’re telling your brain that this is important to you, and it will start to notice opportunities and resources that can help you achieve your goals.

So, what might visualisation look like? Perhaps you’ve had a summer where you felt really comfortable in your own skin, in your clothes, and with your fitness levels. If so, you could revisit photos or videos of that time to remind yourself of how you felt, to help you think about what could be possible for this summer. You could journal or create a mood board, cutting pictures out of magazines, to help you picture the summer you want. It takes practise and a bit of patience, but these things really can start to change the way you view things and our brain will start looking out for those opportunities.

But visualisation alone is not enough. You also need to create neural pathways in your brain to make your habits stick. When you consistently practice a habit, it creates a neural pathway in your brain. The more you practice the habit, the stronger the neural pathway becomes. Over time, this habit becomes automatic and easy to do, almost like second nature.

So, how can you create these neural pathways? Start with small habits that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. What might this look like? If you want to be running 5K by the summer, you could start now by putting on your trainers and getting out of the door, even if you only manage a walk in the beginning. If you want more energy or aim to feel healthier, you could commit to a slightly earlier bedtime, or increasing the amount of water you drink each day. Whatever these habits are, commit to doing them consistently, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. As you continue to practice these habits, they become easier and easier to do until they become your default behaviour.

By creating these neural pathways now, you’ll be setting yourself up for success in the summer. Healthy habits will come naturally to you, and you’ll be able to enjoy your summer without worrying about the basics.

So, let’s make this summer the easiest and most enjoyable yet! Start now, form good habits, visualise your ideal summer, and create those neural pathways in your brain. Remember, small changes can lead to big results, and you’ve got this!

If you would like some extra support and encouragement to embed some new habits, come and join us over in our Motivationfish Facebook group or take a look at our Healthy, Whole and Free programme. You can follow the course at your own pace but you get access to loads of live sessions a month with me (recorded for those who can’t make it live) as well as access for 6 months to all of the exercise classes, recipes, podcasts, reflections and a resource pack to support you on this journey. You can find out more and sign up here.