When Progress Feels Too Slow: 2 Ways to Stay Mentally Strong During Plateaus
Picture this. You’ve been working hard on your fitness goals. The number on the scale is dropping. Your lifts are going up. You feel stronger—until all of that comes to a halt. It’s been weeks since your weight has changed, and your lifts have stalled. It’s discouraging and can make you feel like giving up. The difficult emotions that come with a plateau can steer you off course on your fitness journey, so here are two ways you can stay mentally strong during a plateau.
Switch to a values approach. Goals can be an incredibly effective way to stay motivated in the gym, but it sucks when you’re not meeting them. That’s exactly what happens during a plateau. Goals are achievable benchmarks you can check off a list: lose 10 lbs, increase bench press by 50 lbs, go to the gym 3x/week, etc. Values are general principles you find important and try to live by: personal development, self-improvement, physical fitness. They are much broader. How does this help, you wonder? Well, you might not be hitting your goals, but if you’re still showing up and working on yourself, you’re living your values. That’s already reframing the situation in a more helpful and positive way! When you make this reframe, you’re more likely to continue working on yourself, leading to you breaking that plateau!
Build a support system. Plateaus are frustrating, but you’re not alone. If you go up to a stranger in the gym and ask them if they’ve ever hit a plateau on their fitness journey, chances are they’ll say yes. Humans are social beings, and it can be cathartic to talk to other like-minded people about what you’re going through. This can be a supportive family member, a gym buddy, or even a personal trainer. In fact, many personal trainers have worked with clients who’ve hit plateaus. They understand what it feels like to hit a plateau, and a good trainer is going to be there in your corner to help see you through it. Whoever it is, find someone you trust to be in your corner—and don’t be afraid to talk it out.
If you’re currently going through a plateau and feeling discouraged, try the above strategies! If you want personalized help on your fitness journey, let us know, and we’ll come up with an action plan together!
