Just ahead of thanksgiving, when we pause as a nation to reflect on the many things that we are thankful for, we take the time to prepare for this occasion by practicing a well known spiritual exercise that has been proven in the cognitive behavioral fields of psychology...
Today's objective: give yourself credit!
Too often we focus on the negative aspects of our behavior. We may repeat the same lines in our head: I'm so bad at this, I'm a failure, I will never get the hang of it, I ate that and now my diet is ruined, since I ate that I might as well give up and eat whatever I want the rest of the day.
The thoughts can quickly spiral into more negative actions, and pretty soon our original resolve is completey overtaken by a depressing and sabotaging regression to where we were before, sometimes even worse.
When we give ourselves credit, or when we count our blessings, we stay in a positive mode or mood, a way of thinking which doesn't retreat, but is always ready for the next moment of blessing.
When you go to bed tonight, maybe as you plug in your phone or begin your evening routine, think of at least 5-10 things you can say you did well for yourself today. Took the stairs? Give yourself credit. Refused that extra serving? Give yourself credit! Logged all your food? Give yourself credit. Went to the gym, especially when you felt tired or lazy? Give yourself credit.
You may also want to think of these things as blessings, creating a list of gratitudes, eg. I ate what was in my food plan, and I'm happy I had food to eat. I'm thankful for that walk outside with that beautiful sunset. I'm so blessed with good friends who made me feel better so I didn't have to overindulge on food or alcohol.
When we take the time to give ourselves credit or count our blessings, we focus on the positive, and prepare ourselves for this next moments of challenge. When we look forward to giving ourselves credit for overcoming a future obstacle, we set ourselves up for success. This Thursday we can be truly thankful for the blessings we have, and know that we don't have to overindulge. We can give ourselves credit for staying on track!
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