Inevitably, there will come a moment when you don’t want to make the healthy choice. Being healthy is hard and it’s so much easier to cave into temptation.
Just last night in fact, I decided I wanted to go get some frozen yogurt. I debated back and forth in my head and then decided, “Let’s do this.” I got on my coat, my hat, my scarf, my gloves, grabbed my keys, and and my purse and then stopped. Did I really want frozen yogurt, or was I yearning for something else?
At one point in my life, I would have opened the door, got in the car and enjoyed my frozen yogurt, but these days I’m more skilled in body awareness and healthy living. I got pretty far down the road to getting my frozen yogurt, I mean I was ready to go, and then I stopped myself, took off my coat, grabbed a healthy vegan frozen peanut butter ball instead and read on the couch next to the fire. I wanted to feel comforted. Frozen yogurt would have just made me cold.
The three questions to stop you in your tracks
How do you stop yourself in your tracks when you know you’re heading toward non-healthy living options? Ask yourself this set of questions:
- What will you feel like if you engage in this non-healthy activity?
- What will you feel like if you don’t engage in this non-healthy activity?
- What does your body/mind/soul really need right now?
In my frozen yogurt example, I was craving comfort. Frozen yogurt came to mind as something that would really comfort me, something that I haven’t had for a long time, and as I’ve been eating less sweets lately the sugar high was calling my name.
But when I asked myself what I really wanted, it wasn’t cold, frozen ice cream. I didn’t want to go outside in the 22 degree weather, drive down a really busy road, and pay money for a heaping pile of more cold! I wanted to feel warm. I still wanted sugar, but the dark chocolate chips in the peanut butter balls handled that craving for me. There was another way to get a similar feeling.
I knew I wouldn’t feel great after eating the frozen yogurt. Plus I would be paying money for something I didn’t need, wasting gas, and getting angry at traffic.
It felt much better to wrap up in a blanket next to the fire with my dog and read a book I’ve been wanting to finish.
Mission accomplished.
It’s always worth it to be aware
It’s going to happen. Your mind will get tired of all this healthy stuff, and you’ll want to give up, cheat, cave. And it’s okay if you do! But start to prime your mind with these three questions before you give in and see how that changes things.
Being aware of what you really want and need is a powerful tool in transformation!
Also, there will be a long period where you ask yourself those three questions and become aware but cave anyway. Trust in the process 🙂
Let me know on the Facebook page of a time when you stopped yourself in your tracks, or if you can’t think of a time, let me know what your body/mind/soul really needs right now. You might be surprised what answer you receive!
