The Art of Being Thankful: A Mindset Exercise for Athletes
December 27, 2024
Take a moment to slow down with me and shift gears in our busy, fast-paced world. As athletes, juggling training schedules, work, and personal life can feel overwhelming, especially during this time of year. However, these moments of routine disruption provide an opportunity to gain new perspectives and evaluate the habits we’ve formed—both intentionally and unintentionally.
Gratitude and Holistic Health: A Fresh Perspective
When life slows down, many people naturally focus on the aspects of their health they want to change. Alternatively, today I encourage you to recognize the aspects of your health that you are doing well with and are thankful for. Recognizing what you’re doing well is a powerful step toward fostering long-term growth and building a positive outlook.
Thankfulness Exercise for Athletes
Grab a pen and paper (or email me your answers!) and reflect on these gratitude-inspired questions. By periodically reviewing your responses, you can reinforce a positive mindset that supports your athletic goals and overall health.
- What habit have you worked on this year that has been the most powerful in improving your health or athletic performance?
- Who in your life inspires and motivates you to push forward?
- What do you love about your body and its abilities right now?
- What is a challenge did you face that helped you to grow as an individual or athlete?
- What recent accomplishments are you most proud of?
While these are not your typical nutrition tips and recipes, they shift your perspective foster healthier habit development overtime. Much like proper nutrition fuels your performance, a positive mental approach lays the foundation for sustained growth.
Mindset Matters: A Holistic Approach to Health
Building healthier habits doesn’t just happen in the gym or the kitchen—it starts with the mindset you bring to your day. By embracing gratitude, you create a stronger foundation for both mental resilience and physical performance.
Ready to Elevate Your Health and Performance?
If you are looking for guidance with your nutrition and health, please book a discovery call. On the call you will share about goals, past and present health as well as learn about they ways my nutrition coaching could support you. If you are not an excellent fit for my coaching programs, I am happy to provide you with options to help you take the next step in your journey.
Eleanor Baker MS, RD, CSSD
Hello! My name is Eleanor and I am a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), founder of Elevated Nutrition and Wellness and the Sports Nutrition Consultant for UC Santa Barbara Athletics. Since 2016, I have helped athletes and active individuals fuel smarter, recover faster, and heal through simple and sustainable nutrition and lifestyle interventions. I combine my clinical expertise with a personalized, high-performance approach to help clients achieve lasting results so they can live happier and healthier lifestyles.