Changing in the short term is doable, but how do we maintain changes that last? When January is over and we aren’t being held accountable by the challenge, what will keep us moving in the right direction without the wind of accountability in our sails?
Maintaining our healthier habits is going to take an intentional, daily effort, but there are some things we can do, right now, to make our future brighter.
For one, notice why the cravings come. Yesterday while on a walk, the mental photo of the Frank Family Vineyard bottle of wine on my counter at home came into my head. I couldn’t attach it to a moment of stress or anxiety, but there was a lot going on yesterday so I just attributed it to that. After thinking about it more, I realized it’s because it is on my counter and I see it repeatedly throughout the day. So now, it’s put away out of sight, and has been replaced with my new favorite tea. Sometimes just seeing something all the time keeps in working in our subconscious creating a bond.
Noticing the triggers that spark thoughts of our unhealthy habits helps us better understand ourselves, and that is a big part of untangling the knot. So connect the dots. If your goal is to have more positive self talk, notice when the negative ones come in rather than just ignoring them. Brushing our feelings and thoughts under the rug just means we have to deal with them later, and we all know that pile up is not helping our cause.
Consistency in replacing our habits is critical. If you don’t feel like exercising, but you have committed to doing it, just do something. 5-10 minutes is enough to connect the link in the chain that will eventually make it a habit. And, once you start, you may feel like doing more. Just start.
The quality of our tomorrow depends on our actions today, right now. Life isn’t easy, no matter how much we wish it were so. When we sit through the challenges, when we step forward, facing facts to feel the anxiety and pain of existence – rather than cover it up with our coping mechanisms – we meet our true selves. That may not be the most exciting meeting at first, but over time, we will come to understand that we are much more than our coping mechanisms. We are stronger and more capable than we might think, so let’s allow ourselves that opportunity because we might really like who we are without all of the other stuff.
Cheers to day 7.
Love, Coach m