“Invent your world. Surround yourself with people, color, sounds, and work that nourish you.” ~SARK
Heading into the New Year, many of us are having intense conversations with ourselves about losing weight. Spurred on by the diet industry’s compelling messages, we’re tempted to rush into resolutions and rigid rules to finally get the weight off . . . this time.
What if this year, instead of making resolutions to lose weight, we decided to set our intentions to take care of ourselves differently? To give ourselves more of what we really need?
So instead of setting ourselves up for the deprivation-driven eating that’s generated by eliminating bread, [private_membership circle]cutting out desserts, and trying to never eat french fries again, let us thoughtfully attend to the real reasons we are above our natural weight.
Perhaps we’ve been too busy at work and over-committed with community projects. And as a result, we aren’t getting to the grocery store, or making time for breakfast, or eating as mindfully as we’d like. Or maybe, though we’re meeting everyone else’s needs, we haven’t found time for our walk or a decent night’s sleep. Possibly, we’ve needed to use food to relieve stress, to push down anger, or to comfort or reward ourselves.
Recognizing what’s depleting us, what’s getting in the way of caring for ourselves, and what difficult feelings are there to be felt allows us to set our intentions wisely. So we may set an intention to ask for help and to delegate more often, or to say no or at least “I’ll get back to you” whenever possible. Or we may schedule appointments for ourselves in our busy calendar for a weekly walk, a weekend nap, a monthly telephone call with a good friend, a consultation with a therapist, or an overdue vacation.
Focusing on what’s really needed—instead of what we shouldn’t be eating—enables us to care for ourselves more effectively. And changing how we care for ourselves will bring our weight back into balance naturally. So this New Years, instead of making resolutions to dive into dieting and deprivation, consider setting your intentions to give yourself what you really need not only to have a good year, but also to have an empowered, fulfilling, and healthier life.
Tip: Think about one situation in your life where you want to improve your self-care. What is one small, attainable behavior that might change the situation? Ask yourself, without judgment, “What has gotten in my way of making a change in the past, and what supports do I need now to help me move forward?” Ask yourself this without minimizing your need for support and without downplaying the time and energy required to take action. Now break your one small, attainable behavior down into even smaller action steps and mark them in your calendar.
Affirming Statement: “I set my intentions to give myself what I really need.”
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Nutrition therapists Amy Tuttle, RD, LCSW and Karin Kratina, RD, PhD provide no-diet articles and resources including “Stay Attuned: The E-zine for Nourishing Connections” at their Nourishing Connections website. www.nourishingconnections.com
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