Sometimes life and work get so busy and overwhelming that not only do we forget to take care of ourselves, but also why we committed to a healthier lifestyle in the first place. It becomes more routine to grab an unhealthy snack we’re craving along with our special coffee during the hustle and bustle, as well as sit down and stay seated after a long and stressful day.
Yet this is the time when our bodies need care the most. When we continue to ‘feed’ our stress, with low-quality food, by decompressing through television, by re-affirming again and again just how stressed out we feel, then we stay imprisoned by it.
Revisit the analogy of the car: if you fuel a car on time, change the oil, keep the tires inflated and keep the maintenance schedule, it will serve you well. Not only will the car give you safety, reliability and good driving performance, but it will also sustain itself during long road trips. Suppose you neglected to maintain this car….let the gas tank run empty, avoided adding oil, ignored any maintenance alerts on the dashboard and didn’t inflate the tires, how well would the car perform?
A major success factor in maintaining a healthy lifestyle through thick and thin (literally as well), is to stay in touch with the benefits of why this is important to you. Take ten minutes to come up with a list of reasons, and review this list every morning for the next 30 days. If it helps, post it on your bathroom mirror, or somewhere else you are guaranteed to see it. Examples of reasoning might be:
“My body will function better on all levels, and stress won’t take me down easily.”
“I’ll be in a better mood around my children/spouse/coworkers. They’ll experience the best of me.”
“I’ll think clearly and be able to make sound decisions.”
“I’ll response to life from a calmer place, rather than a tense and reactive place.”
Finding a way to protect your health and fitness habits is a commitment that will bring you benefits far excelling the short-term fixes associated with being stressed out. Give yourself permission to re-acquaint yourself with these benefits. You may even find yourself surprised to notice that “I’m so stressed out” drops from your expressions.
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