Tag Archive for: me-time

Going for Your Goals

Go for itI have written previous blogs on “me time”, about not buying into the idea of pop culture determining the ultimate body type, and on not overextending yourself.  Now I am challenging you to take it one step further.

Was there ever a time, or perhaps more than one, where you did something not because you wanted to do it but because somebody else thought it was best for you?  I would not be surprised if the answer was yes.  Sometimes it’s easy to be scared about going after the things you want.  Whether it’s because you don’t trust your own intuition or you don’t want to fall short of someone else’s expectations, you let someone else map out your journey.

It happens with food too.  You find yourself at a restaurant with friends.  They are all ordering salads and even though you really wanted a steak that day, you jump on the bandwagon and order a salad as well.  Or perhaps you do order the steak, and one of your friends chimes in, “Steak?!  I thought you were on a diet!”  At which point you immediately change to the salad saying it was a momentary lapse in judgment.  If you want steak, have steak.  That is what intuitive eating is all about.  Honor your hunger and the desire for the food you want, and it will be easier to respect your fullness when you have had enough.

It is true for anything in life.  Focus on the things you want and make them happen. It is your journey to navigate, not someone else’s.  While you can let others weigh in on situations, know in the end that the only person’s whose opinion matters is yours.

Your turn to take action: How have other’s opinions affected you in life?

Know When to Stop and Say “No”

Knowing When to Stop PictureI have spent a lot of time discussing the freedom from dieting that intuitive eating can provide.  That certainly is the beauty of being mindful.  But one principle that people sometimes struggle with is “Respecting Your Fullness.”  This principle involves really tuning in while you’re eating, and being able to recognize when you have had enough and no longer need to keep eating.

As you may have found out in your own eating, consuming food past the point of fullness can make you uncomfortable, sick or lead to feelings of guilt.  These feelings can lead you to skipping your next meal or snack, thus beginning an overeating/starving cycle that messes with your metabolism.  By paying attention while you’re eating, you can break free of this cycle and feel good about what you are eating.

The idea behind this principle can also be applied to things in life other than eating mindfully.  I’m sure many of you feel overextended due to juggling family, a job, a household and anything else that may come up in a day.  Think of overextending yourself as something similar to overeating.  Just like I want you to respect your fullness, I want you to respect your fullness of schedule as well.  Sometimes taking on too much can take you away from the really important aspects of your life and self-care.  Knowing when to say no to certain things is analogous to knowing when you are full from a meal.

Though our country is all about excess, scaling back and respecting your limitations is just as important as trying to achieve the impossible ideal of “doing it all.”  Respect your fullness, respect your time, and respect that you are only capable of so much.  Do what you can handle well and you will feel much better during your day to day life.

The next time someone asks you to do something and you really can’t fit it in, say the following, “I wish I could, but I can’t.”  No need for reasons or excuses.

Your turn to take action:  Do you have a hard time saying “no” to people?