Morning Peeps!
Guess what today is? It's a BRAND new day where each of us have a clean state to follow-thru with our goals and plans. Don't you worry about yesterday, the mistakes, the frustrations, the guilt. Today can be different, but the power lies in YOU! Your mind is powerful, it create thoughts which encourage feelings both good and bad. Feelings can turn into actions. Actions can turn into behavior and behavior can turn into habits.
Today, I'd like to propose that we all think about the thoughts we are having inside our heads and see how those thoughts relate to our habits. Are you constantly having positive or negative thoughts? Are you lifting yourself up or putting yourself down with your thoughts? Are your thoughts conducive to your weight loss goals or are they counterproductive? Do you need to rethink some of what you think about so you can be a better you?
If you stop and think about it, I bet each of us have had moments where our thoughts created negative feelings that impacted how we act. The key is to recognize those thoughts when they happen and use strategies to change the thoughts.
The Stop SignOne thing I do is picture a stop sign in my head. I close my eyes and imagine the corners, color, and the word "STOP" until I can envision the entire stop sign. Then, I open my eyes and the first thing I see I think something positive about.
For example, if I open my eyes and see a chair, I think "I'm so thankful that chair is there for when I'm too tired to stand". You always want to rewire your thoughts in a positive light. This helps me to forget whatever negative thought I had before. If that thought comes back again, I do this strategy or do another one.
Sticky Note AffirmationsAnother thing I do is write affirmations on sticky notes and place them in various places where I will see them. I find places I am more tempted to think negatively. For me, looking in the mirror was a big source of my negative thoughts because I am so critical of how I look. Therefore, I will post positive affirmations like "I love your blue eyes" and "You have a beautiful smile" all over my mirror. I have them in my car, on my desk at work, and anywhere else I feel I need to see them. Yes, it might seem strange to outsiders but this has done wonders for helping me stay in a positive mindset.
JournalingWhether online or in a notebook, writing down your thoughts/feelings is one way to release what's on your mind. However, just writing down your thoughts without following up with a plan will not help you reshape negative thoughts. Therefore, if you do journal, I would encourage you to vent all you want but make sure you end with things you plan on doing to fix whatever negative feeling/thought you are having. This way, you are consciously aware of what the problem is but you also have a plan to go along with it. And you know what they say, failing to plan is planning to fail!
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Support!And last but not least, do not be afraid to ask others for advice/support. You never know what great words of wisdom others might share with you. Who knows, you could even develop a lasting friendship as a result. I know how hard it is to ask others for advice because of fear of being judged/ridiculed/criticized but finding a group that is supportive of your unique situation will help. This is why I love this community because people are ever so encouraging here. Find like-minded people who struggle with a similar situation to lean on for support. You'd be surprised at how you both could help each other through encouragement and accountability. I've even found that in this community with a few people who've reached out personally.
And finally, I'd like to ask you all this question:
at what moment did it "click" that you needed to get healthy? What happened? What's your motivation?For me, it was the realization that I could barely walk up stairs without panting and getting out of breath. I was with a group of friends I hadn't seen in a while and we ended up going out and about. I got tired really quickly and we had barely started our day! I kept going even though I was in immense pain because I didn't want to slow anyone down. That day was awful, I felt like I was a horrible person. I felt fat, unfit, out-of-shape. I knew I needed to change so I could enjoy life! I want to be able to go hiking again - I used to do that all the time. I want to go hiking on a 6 hour hike without getting exhausted just walking to the trail. I love the outdoors and I want to spend it with friends, but I knew I needed to be in better shape before doing that.
I encourage you all to think back on your moment of realization and keep that with you at the forefront of your mind so you have something to fall back on when you have those down days. This will help curb those negative thoughts and put you right back on the path of focused determination! Let's all remember why we are here and put on our game face today! :)
