Change your mind and your body will follow. Whether you are talking about losing a few pounds, starting an exercise program, or just figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life you start by “thinking” about it first.
Believe it or not, says Emily Delzell (Arthritis Today: January/February 2011) it is usually your mind that keeps you mired in one place, and not your body. Your thoughts and emotions contribute more to your physical wellbeing than anything else. Learn how to smile and lighten up a little as you decide how to meet any new challenges.
When you get older to have more time to mull things over, which is a good thing, but you also have less time to waste. Will power has always been a big issue, and at times a stumbling block as we strive to remain in control. If you are looking for strategies to get your mind out of a rut, it will help if you understand how will power works. Will power is the drive. Will power is what gives you the energy to do things even if you really don’t want to do them. Will power is what gets you to the gym, or keeps you from eating the cheesecake that you know you shouldn’t have. Will power is what will help you stay in control, but how do you fine tune that inner voice?
- Start small: This is the step that does most of us in. We leap into every projects as if there were no tomorrow. Our goals are so impossibly lofty that there is no way that we can reach them. Even your psyche gets tired after awhile. Most of us are list makers. If you are like me, your list is always too long. Tackling too many tasks at once is positively overwhelming. Experts suggest parceling out those tasks over a week or even a month, if you are a long term planner. If you are going to start a walking program it is better to start small. Ten minutes, half a block or whatever you can comfortably do is better than an “all or nothing at all” approach. . You want to feel a sense of accomplishment each day.
- Eat small meals. Believe it or not, will power requires physical energy.
- Recognize what you can and cannot control. If you expect everything to be perfect, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.
- Never compare yourself to anyone else. Easier said than done, but trying to keep up with your kids will be more discouraging than anything you can imagine. Stop beating yourself up. Focus on yourself and do the best that you can today.
- Information is the key to being in control. Ask the right questions and be informed. This is especially true if you have developed a chronic illness.
- . Be resilient. Fight back. Be in control. Life is good.
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