Article written by Danielle Colley, sourced from bodyandsoul.com.au

 

A few months ago it dawned on me that I wasn’t feeling great. It wasn’t a discernible health issue that I could pop a pill for, or apply cream to. It was something deeper inside me.

My negative self-talk had become very loud and I found myself questioning everything I was doing. My confidence had taken a sudden nose-dive and I couldn’t put my finger on why. I wasn’t doing anything differently, but suddenly I was feeling really beige. There were tears.

Then I realised, maybe I did need to do something differently. Maybe I needed to look at the way I was thinking. Little things we do and think, often subconsciously, can add up, and drag us down. Before we know it negativity sneaks shackles on you, which prevents you from leaping and bounding through life.

I decided to make a few changes in order to lighten my load, and love myself more.

Took the batteries out of the bathroom scales

The bathroom scales have never been my friends. Those suckers could dictate how my whole day went with just a little number in the morning. When the batteries ran out, I decided not to renew them and to kick the scales under the sink where I can’t see them.

I know they’re there should I have a burning desire to discover my weight, but I’ve removed the daily temptation to allow a mean old piece of measuring equipment tell me whether I look good today or not.

Said one nice thing to myself reflection every morning

At first it felt a bit weird to throw a random “You are smart, talented and worthy,” at my reflection in the mirror, but soon my morning love words became like a moment with an old friend.

I would look myself square in the eye and say just one nice thing about how I was going to be today (“You are dazzling and engaging”) or how I looked (“You are shiny and gorgeous.”) I’m totally not above telling myself I look awesome today because let’s face it, it’s unlikely anyone else is going to.

Committed to exercise every weekday

You know how you often wake up and start the debate about whether or not you should exercise? Yeah, I quit that. I know that my physical, and more importantly mental space, is so much better for the entire day if I do a minimum of 30 minutes exercise in the morning.

I took the debate out of the equation by committing to exercise every weekday. I can pro-crap-stinate to my heart’s content on the weekend.

If I don’t have time for the gym, I make time to work out in the garden or lounge with kettle bells, skipping rope and a tabata timer on my phone.

Stopped beating myself up for not having my career path perfectly mapped

I’m 40 and I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I am a creative. What this means, in my case, is that I don’t have a distinct career planned and I have lots of (harebrained) ideas and will follow new paths often.

I used to beat myself up about this and I thought I needed to get a “real” job in order to follow a clear career trajectory and be a SUCCESS. I also measured my own success by what other people were doing, especially, the people on social media.

This is not a good way to gauge yourself so I decided my uncertain, haphazard, colourful career path is simply perfect for me… and social media lives aren’t all that.

Removed social media from my phone

I was such a Facebook addict that I would check it every 10-15 minutes and scroll perpetually sometimes for moments, or minutes or even hours. I would check it at the traffic lights, while waiting in line, when my date went to the toilet, and even check it on my phone while I was working on my computer where it was opened in a tab anyway.

I haven’t given it up, per se, however breaking the habit of checking on my phone made a huge impact on my overall addiction. Basically, I’m too lazy to get off the couch to go to the computer to check it and using Facebook via the internet on the phone is not as satisfying.

The less I saw what whatshername I’ve not seen since high school was doing, the more I realized it’s not important, or relevant, to my life and the time I spent absorbed in that was time stolen from things that could fill my love cup.

Wrote three things I’m grateful for every evening

I admit, #gratitude is pretty vom inducing, however, a moment’s reflection at the end of the day can reveal some interesting things, such as, your life is actually pretty damned great.

I have a handful of caring, inspiring friends, I am strong and healthy, and I am grateful to have an amazing work network that allows me freedom whilst paying for my holidays. The simple act of gratitude is actually not as lame-o as you first may think… But if you want to keep if off Facebook, that’s ok by me.

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