One upon a time I felt like a demon in my own skin. Torturing myself with unhealthy habits that created a perpetual cycle of unhappiness and need, unhappiness and need. Need for relationships that didn’t nourish, but distracted. Drinks that lacked nourishment, but inhibited me. Stories I’d tell myself in my head that truly hurt me…
Now, I feel a sense of ease and joy for my life, but I didn’t get here without a lot of self reflection, endless work, and taking 20 steps back to only march forward a beat…but, it was the most worthwhile effort I have made in my life.
What were some ways I succeeded in taking control of the health of my mind, body, and spirit?
Not eating carbs
Rigorous workouts daily
Cutting out sugar completely
Doing yoga every morning
Meditating every day
Running 5x a week
Obsessing over what I look l like
Obsessing over how I feel
Setting boundaries
Forgiving myself
Finding both presence and a sense of ease in it
Nourishing my body with foods that make me feel good
Moving my body in the ways it feels called to when it feels called to
Moving throughout the day
Exercising for joy rather than punishment
Having honest conversations with myself without judgment
What unexamined beliefs do you hold about what efforts “being healthy takes”? What has all of the information buzzing around you told you to BE in order to be healthy? In what ways has that actually made you unhappy?
Take a beat right now to jot down those reflections on a piece of paper or in your notes on your computer…
Have you ever thought to yourself…
I’ll never be fit enough,
I feel like I’m always eating “bad” foods, and I can’t seem to stop
“Watched a movie today instead of exercising so now I feel like a failure and a bad person”
What if you reframe your thinking about health?
I’ll never be fit enough,// I have so much room to play with my body and what it needs out of physical activity that I can’t wait to explore.
I feel like I’m always eating “bad” foods, and I can’t seem to stop// I allow myself my sensory pleasure foods while knowing when crowd them out with nourishing foods and maintain compassion
“Watched a movie today instead of exercising so now I’m a bad person and a failure”// “I knew that I was tired from a very stressful week and that what my body needed most was to unwind and shut down, tomorrow I will go for the run I’ve been looking forward to”
Which mindset do you feel produces the most sincere joy?
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