Managing your time for fitness success!

It’s just the catch cry of just about everyone. We try to fit so much into our lives these days, its not surprising that we feel overwhelmed just trying to fit it all in. Often when this happens, people feel extremely busy, yet accomplish very little towards achieving these objectives. Time itself does not enable people to achieve things. The secret is using time effectively and efficiently. By following these steps you can learn to use the time you have to not only achieve your fitness goals, but also obtain more satisfaction in your everyday life.

1. Breaking it down.

Take some time to list all the things you have to do. This may seem daunting at first, but the actual process of organising and writing things down on paper is psychologically relieving. Once you have written down your commitments, break them down into manageable goals.

For example; Week 1 ‘Floating ‘ goal – Increase cardio
Manageable goal – Increase cardio from two days to four days a week.
Type: Running, cycling, boxing, walking. Duration: 40 minutes
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday mornings.

2. What really matters?

Organize your commitments in order of priority. Maybe you don’t need to watch TV from 7until 10pm every night. Try cutting it down to four nights a week instead. That’s a whole nine hours a week you now have to spare.

3. Can’t change a thing!

Commitments are called just that for a reason, some things we just cant say no to. Most of us have to work and maintain responsibilities. Acknowledge these in your schedule and block them out as fixed times throughout the day, similarly, identifying the commitments which may be flexible and may be possible to fit in at another time of the day.

For example: 9am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday: Work (fixed).
1pm Saturday: Lunch with friends (Flexible – if I change the lunch from 2pm to a 10am breakfast, I’ll be less likely to hang around for most of the day giving me time to catch up on other things).

4. Give it your best shot

Identify when you are at your most effective: mentally and physically. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Schedule in your workouts when you are feeling energized and are at your physical best throughout the day. Schedule in low-priority, mind-numbing activities when you are at your least effective. For example, preparing meals for the following day.

5. I just want to have fun!

Don’t forget to fit in time to socialize. We can’t always be so rigid that we do not allow time for ourselves. Everyone deserves to catch up with friends or family. You may want to schedule in your cheat meal for your regular Saturday night out on the town. Alternatively, you may prefer to be flexible on the weekend.

6. Uh-oh!

Sometimes tings do not go to plan. You get an injury, a family member becomes ill. You lose your job. The important thing is to accept when unexpected events occur. Its called ‘life’ and there are always surprises. Don’t beat yourself up over it, instead accept it and make a promise to get on top of things as soon as things get back to normal.
Remember time management is not about a life sentence, it’s also about having fun whilst achieving your goals. The key is to make it work for you. By following this advice, you will feel more relaxed and positive and start living the life you’ve always wanted.

About the writer: Carmen Rossitto has a BA (Psychology) (Public Relations) and BA (Honours) (Psychology) from Deakin University. She has a passion for helping others overcome adversity and achieve their goals in life.

What is Support?

Some people feel that seeking support is a sign on weakness but that IS NOT so.

SUPPORT is not dependence
SUPPORT is interdependence
SUPPORT includes sharing yourself with others when they need support
SUPPORT helps you become more competent
SUPPORT opposes segregation and loneliness
SUPPORT is the basis of effective neighbourhoods and communities
SUPPORT is the way people become more powerful, and groups become more powerful
SUPPORT is the basis for co-operation
SUPPORT helps to manage tension
SUPPORT is doing what another may find too difficult
SUPPORT is really listening to another person
SUPPORT includes empathy, respect, self-disclosure and genuineness

Getting through an Anxiety Disorder is tough, and most people need others to help them. Therefore, it is a good idea to think about creating a support network for yourself. Your support network might include close family and friends, as well as your psychologist and GP. Alternatively, you might prefer to only talk to health professionals. It depends on what helps you most and what you feel most comfortable with.

FORMAL supports might include:

- GPs
- counselors
- psychologists
- psychiatrists
- support groups
- telephone supports
- monitored internet chat rooms (semi-formal)


INFORMAL supports might include:
- friends
- family
- pets
- monitored internet chat rooms or
- email buddies
- sports teams
- church groups

My experience with counselling—Anon

During my experience going through counselling at first was a scary thought. I had no idea of what to say although I knew in my heart what was going on in that time of thought when I needed to talk to someone about how I was feeling.

I had no idea of what to say. I felt embarrassed at first. I had all these thoughts going through my head but wasn’t sure how to get them out and talk about them. I spoke to friends and family, and even though they were there to listen to me and try to advise me, it still wasn’t enough for me to think it was all out of my head and gone for me to understand how to handle the way I felt. Most of the time I swept my thoughts under the carpet thinking I was just being silly, or overreacting about silly things. Little did I know they were not silly thoughts at all. They were the little things eating away at me because I didn’t know how to deal with them myself.

I finally got the courage to go and see a counselor which was through my mum’s work. I was very nervous on my first day, it felt like there was something wrong with me. I felt strange and shaky. My dad drove me for my first session, he knew I was nervous and said to me its ok, there’s nothing wrong with you, you just need to open up and tell the counselor how you are feeling and what is bothering you so much.

I remember walking into the room and sitting down with the counselor and she introduced herself to me. She was lovely, nice and gentle. Hi Michelle, she said. What can I do for you today? How about you start by telling me how your day has been so far. She was able to break the ice quickly and professionally. She was close to my age so I found it not so bad to start off by telling her how my day so far was going. Then she slowly went into things about my family history and if there were any issues I wanted to talk about. It took me awhile to be able to trust her in a way I could just open up and talk freely about how I was feeling. Usually I’m not very open about the way I feel so she had to try and find little ways to open up the way I was feeling.

After we had discussed a few things, I finally got into some deep talking and what was really bothering me. It felt good but the more I spoke the more emotional I became. I felt so sad and alone, the room around me felt dark and gloomy. I was in a world of my own, but getting it out in the open with someone I trusted and cared about what I was saying made me feel a little better, but I wasn’t out of the woods just yet. There were a few issues I had to raise.

While discussing things my counselor told me she wanted to see more of me. I asked how many times she would need to see me, she replied with once a week at this point. I asked her why she wanted to see me once a week. She said she was worried about me and my wellbeing and how seeing her would hopefully help me to lift some of the sadness away from my life. At that stage I was very emotional and had a lot to get off my chest. I wasn’t the happy teenage girl I should have been.

I went to counseling for 6 months. I was only supposed to have six sessions, but because of the way I felt I needed a lot of coaching and to help me get through my problems. My counselor had given me a diary to write things down that were bothering me during the week when I wasn’t seeing her, so when I went to see her the following week I was able to discuss what was bothering me and we both thought of strategies to work out how I could overcome the way I was thinking and put them into positive thoughts, even though thoughts were negative in my life.

Throughout my six months, I found new ways to cope with my sadness at the time. I would write notes down all the time and work through ways to become a happy person. By the time I had left my counseling sessions I was able to move into a different direction and could see colour in my life. I smiled more. I was happy with myself and things around me didn’t have the same effect as before. My negative thoughts were moving into a positive direction where I was able to fight the way I was feeling and be more determined to become strong and believe in a force that could direct me into a happier environment. I was no longer in that dark place. Every time something would upset me, I would write it all down and keep a journal. Before I knew it I was turning negative into positive and wanted to be around people who would inspire me and help me become a better person. No-one could ever make me feel sad because I would wipe those thoughts out of my head.

All of these years down the track I have now discovered a passion to work as a counselor myself and hope to study, what I believe would help and hopefully help other people in situations I felt myself. Emotions are very powerful thoughts. I find if I listen to particular songs at the time, they make me feel even stronger. The one band I find encouraging and what really goes on in someone’s head. It brings on such a strong emotion, but a good emotion.

There are places now that you can call over the telephone if you don’t feel like a face to face discussion. They are called Beyond Blue or Lifeline which is confidential and trained professionals guide you through your questions. Counselors are not there to tell you what to do but to listen to you and guide you through to a positive place. No one can tell you how you feel, but they are there to listen to you.

Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Help Line 1800 551 800
Mens Line 1300 78 9978
Families Counselling Line 1800 011 046
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636

Re-printed with permission – Wellbeing Magazine
This Magazine is produced by the participants of the “Well-being Magazine” A Work for the Dole activity which is sponsored by WorkForce Plus.

Anna’s Story!

Hi my name is Anna, and I’m a 22 year old university student who has social phobia. I’m not exactly sure when this all started for me, I can remember being a happy-go-lucky child but my teenage years were pretty stressful. I remember the phobia becoming a real problem when I left high school and started Uni. I would just become absolutely terrified at the prospect of being asked questions in lectures or appearing strange or different to everyone else in my classes. I was really frightened that I would embarrass myself by saying something or doing something stupid and that everyone would laugh at me. It really affected my studies, I found it hard to go to my lectures and if I did go I would end up panicking and have to sneak out of the room. I would always sit at the back close to the exit so that I could just slink out when it all became too much. I worried that the lecturers thought that I was lazy or unable to do the work, and that my classmates would just think that I was weird, and that made my anxiety worse. I also found social situations extremely difficult, especially large groups, and at my age that’s something that is really hard to deal with and explain to others. When the anxiety hit I felt like I had no control over myself, I would shake, my heart would pound, and then there’s the sweating and feeling of hot then cold. I would become short of breath and my chest would tighten. So many times I was convinced I would die, or that I had contracted a horrible disease. I finally decided to look for help and that’s when I found PADA. I had a talk with them over the phone and they made me feel very comfortable. I attended an info session with my best friend in town and then we decided to attend a weekend workshop together. I was terrified and I was getting all of those horrible feelings, but I was determined to get some help. I found both the info session and the workshop very helpful, and I was so relieved to find that there were others who felt the same as me. I am now working through this with my psychologist and things are better. I’m back at Uni on a part time basis. Some days are still really hard. Especially when I see others sitting around chatting and socializing in the cafeteria, and I hear people talk about what a fantastic night out they had. It still makes me sad sometimes, but I’m lucky I have a couple of very supportive friends who are always around to lend a hand, and Mum seems to be a bit more understanding these days.

One day that will be me chatting and laughing with a big group of friends planning our next night out. I have faith in myself and the determination to continue on this journey however long and winding it may be.
You should join me!

Re-printed with permission from The Panic Anxiety Disorder Association (South Australia)

Positive Daily Affirmations For Health

Examples of positive daily affirmations for health include:


1. I am glowing with health and wholeness.
2. I behave in ways that promote my health more every day.

3. I deserve to be in perfect health.

4. I am highly motivated to exercise my body because I find exercise as fun.

5. I love nutritious healthy food, and I enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

6. I am healthy since my practices are healthy.

7. I let go of the past so I can create health now.

8. I create health by expressing love, understanding and compassion.

Positive Daily Affirmations For Self Esteem!

Examples of positive daily affirmations for self esteem include:

1. I am sure of my ability to do what is necessary to improve my life.

2. If I make mistakes, I am able to give myself the benefit of the doubt.

3. I feel basically worthy as a person.

4. I am able to take risks and try new things without fear.

5. I feel good about the way I do my job.

6. I feel about myself pretty much what others think of me.

7. I have compassion for myself and the way my life has developed.

8. I am deserving of all the good things in my life.

“Anxious but Safe”

“Anxious but Safe” by Joe Bolza, Clinical Psychologist
(now retired) PADA

Anxiety can make its presence felt under several very different situations. When the anxiety system is activated, it can feel much the same, regardless of the cause or validity of anxiety. Usually we get an automatic sense of danger when we are anxious, however, depending on the situation, we may actually be quite safe. Sorting out our actual level of safety is vital. We too often “listen to our anxious feelings” and act as if they were accurate signals of danger, without checking out if they are “on track”.

The most obvious anxiety provoking situation is when there is a clear and current danger. Typical examples are being physically attacked, being actually threatened with punishment, when we see someone (for example a child) exposing themselves to danger (crossing a busy road without looking).

The second is when learning and memory are involved. An actual danger, or a “felt” danger has occurred in the past. Memory stores the experience, including the situation and the feeling. When you find yourself in a similar situation in the future, the memory can activate the anxiety system, putting you “on guard”. The situation often just has to have some similarity. It doesn’t have to be identical. We may not even be aware why we are anxious under these conditions. There may also not be a current danger, as the situation is not identical enough. For example, we may in the past have been attacked by a swooping magpie. We may then get anxious in the presence of similar sized birds, even though they are different kinds of birds, and in fact harmless.

The third is the least understood. It includes “out of the blue” panic attacks and periods of anxiety states. Many of these have a physiological cause, such as hormonal changes (often around menopause, prior to periods, pregnancy, post natal), blood sugar changes, hyperventilation, medication or withdrawal from medication, many street drugs, etc. Usually, the experience is best seen as a “false alarm”, meaning that we have become agitated because a physiological change has been misinterpreted by our nervous system as “cause for alarm”. As a false alarm, we need to see that any alarming thoughts or conclusion we might have are also “false”. That then means we are likely to be safe.

Change in itself can sometimes trigger the anxiety system, putting you in a physiological state of readiness in case the new situation may pose difficulties or dangers. We often confuse “might be a problem”, with “is a problem”, especially when we are highly anxious. We need to use other objective methods of assessing actual problems, such as our “eyes and ears”, rather than our potentially misleading anxiety. Change in fact could be quite safe.

We are biologically primed to be somewhat anxious in many social situations, even if there is no actual physical danger. Our nervous system responds to having eyes looking at us, so it is normal to be revved up if we are the focus of attention. The larger the “audience”, or the more power it has to criticize, or judge, the more anxious we are likely to become. This can be minimised by lots of practise involving positive experiences, but most people are likely to have their anxiety system “on guard” to some degree. This is an important lesson in helping people with social phobia, who find it embarrassing and shameful to have anxiety symptoms in social situations.

Finally, most people are aware of how we can “talk ourselves into feeling anxious”. Even if we are feeling initially quite comfortable, if we start thinking too many “what ifs” about some situation, the anxiety system starts engaging, to prepare us “better” in case the “what ifs” start to materialize. As we start to get anxious, it appears to validate our growing sense of danger, which then increases our anxiety. Before we know it, we can build a five star Hollywood drama and believe in it. Meanwhile, the situation we are in could be quite harmless, and none of our anxious predictions come to pass.

Overall the main point is that when anxiety surfaces, for whatever reason, it is only our personal warning system saying there might be some danger. It doesn’t in fact mean there is danger. We could be “anxious but safe”.

Re-printed with permission by Joe Bolza