"I’m stressed, busy, don’t have time to work out, it’s too expensive and time consuming to eat healthy, my house is always a mess, I’ll never be skinny, I’ve got a mummy tummy now, I can’t stop eating chocolate, I’ll never be a runner"...
Can you relate to any of this?
What are the things you are telling yourself about yourself? Can you see how those things, if they are on repeat in your head constantly, they ARE going to be true and there isn’t much you can do to change them if that’s how your programmed to think?
The amazing news is, you can change those thoughts and thinking patterns. By tuning in to what you’re thinking, you can start telling yourself the things you really want and need to hear instead. Of course it takes time, but let’s commit to giving it a go and see what happens.
Here is an example: I am busy. There is always more than could be done, more that I want to be doing. I find when I focus on that, I get less done. I get overwhelmed and anxious and tend to just scroll on my phone instead of being productive. I still fall into that annoying phone habit, because it takes conscious effort to NOT do that. But the productive, efficient times are happening far more often, as I practise tuning in and really listening to, then talking to myself. Instead of “gaah I’m so busy I’ll never get everything done!”, one of my mantras has become “everything that needs to, will get done”. I repeat this to myself daily, I write it down and I am drumming it into my subconscious. It works. I stop running in circles and I focus on what needs to be done. I am always asking myself, “what is the most important thing right now?”. That’s why you’ll almost never find my couch free of a pile of washing. Cleaning and drying washing is important, but the folding and putting away – not so much.. in my head anyway. We all have different priorities and things we focus on, because we all hold different values. Of course I’d love to have an immaculate house, but (unfortunately for Dave), other things take priority for me, like exercise and home cooked meals and work.
What about you? What is on repeat in your head? It might surprise you when you really make an effort to listen to the thoughts. It can be quite confronting to learn that certain aspects of your life might be the way they are because of what you keep telling yourself..
In moments of overwhelm, uncertainty self-doubt, or a habit you just can’t seem to break, try to change the conversation you are having with yourself and notice how your actions start to change.