Phrases like "talk to yourself like you would to someone you love" or "talk to yourself like you would talk to your best friend" may sound cliche, but there is something to them. Specifically, when it comes to adopting healthier habits (eating more plant-based, exercising more frequently, cooking more meals at home, stopping smoking, etc.), many of us beat ourselves up for setbacks, sometimes even calling ourselves names (lazy, weak or undisciplined to name a few). However, if we were supporting a friend or family member who was working on healthy behavior change, we would likely encourage them and celebrate their progress - NOT belittle them for bumps in the road.
In the context of eating, it's not uncommon for individuals (this includes me) to seek out comfort foods when sad, lonely or frustrated. If we make a choice that isn't the healthiest or we fall short on our meal prep, the best thing we can do is prepare for how we will handle those challenges the next time. Using disparaging remarks or criticizing our abilities - in addition to making us feel bad-can lead to MORE of the behaviors we are trying to avoid. Instead of eating a couple of cookies and moving on...we might say "screw it!" and eat twelve.
Being kind to ourselves in times of challenge does not translate to an absence of accountability. Both of these things can co-exist. You can create an accountability plan to improve your consistency - find a friend with similar goals who will challenge you, use an app to track a specific healthy habit, block out time on your calendar for meal prep and exercise - whatever works best for you. And when you miss a workout or eat more treats than you had planned....get yourself back on track sans unnecessary self-flagellation. Creating healthy habits is a marathon, not a sprint (thought I could squeeze one more analogy into this post!). Keep at it, one habit at a time.
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