Challenging our negative beliefs
We all have beliefs ingrained in our minds about what we are capable of achieving. These can be related to various areas of lives, from work and professional life, to health and wellness or relationships and love. For example, we might have a belief that if we start to allow ourselves eat whatever we want we will never be able to stop eating and will only eat donuts all day long. These beliefs may have developed over a long period of time and from a variety of sources, like diet culture, social media or what our parents have told us as children. However, my task for this week was to re-frame some of these thoughts I have about myself and look for evidence to back up my new beliefs.
Here are the steps:
1. Identify the unhelpful thought
2. Choose a different thought
3. Look for evidence to back up your new thought
For the example I mentioned, this might go like this...
1. If I allow myself to eat whatever I want, whenever I want, I will never stop eating and only eat donuts
2. I will eat a balanced diet that involves seemingly more nutrient rich foods, like fish and vegetables, as well as some more sweet and enjoyable foods, like donuts
3. Science on intuitive eating has shown that if we give ourselves permission to eat whatever we want, whenever we want, our bodies will learn to trust this and eventually just eat a balanced diet and trust that it can have one donut (and not the whole box), in the trust that if it wants one again next week we will allow it this pleasure
Have a go yourself and let me know how you get on!
