Timeout

When reflecting on behavior, people tend to focus on the negative. The result? Guilt and anger followed by more of the same adverse behavior. Focusing on your positive achievements, enables you to see your progress, and continue to expound on future behaviors. You are much healthier today because of what you did, and not what you didn’t do.

So how do you prevent this cycle of negativity? Here is a simple 3 step approach to help you reframe your way of thinking:

1. Stop: When you recognize a negative thought or self-talk, stop what you are thinking and doing. Identify and take ownership of the negative thought; it’s there, it’s real.

· “I not only didn’t increase my physical activity this week, I didn’t even match what I did last week.”

2. Time-out: At that point, pause or take a time-out. Allow your brain to catch up with emotions and think clearly.

· Clear your mind with deep breathing. Find a relaxed position, inhale through your nose, pause when you have completely filled your lungs, and finish with an mouth exhale counting backwards from 10. Repeat as necessary, but at least 3 times.

3. Replace: Now that you cleared the fog, list several options to reframe your thoughts into a positive tone.

· “I moved this week more than I did when I started this journey.”

· “I honored where I was emotionally and met my needs at the time.”

· “The activity I did felt great and I can’t wait until the next time.”

Try it out. I would love to hear your success stories. Post a comment below.

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