The Art of Self Sabotage, Part 2 of 2

Welcome back! Last week we explored the why and how of self sabotage. This week, as promised we’re giving you 5 actionable steps you can take NOW to stop sabotaging all of your hard work. If you missed Part 1, click here to get caught up.

The reason these steps will help is they create a peaceful and appreciative relationship within. When you are in alignment, everything else will follow and stomping on your hard work will not be part of your process.

#1 – Schedule At Least 30 Minutes Per Day For YOU

It’s normal to create a system of thoughts and beliefs that weight us down. They are heavy like a ton of bricks perched on our shoulders. Just when we think we’ve overcome them, they come back with a vengeance. It’s a delicate balance to appreciate and love ourselves while still making good decisions for our well-being. The key is continued personal growth. Never stop being open to new wisdom and experiences. One way to stay in tune with your needs is to schedule on your calendar a 30 minute block of time every single day. This does not include your daily workout. You are worth at least 30 minutes more to do things like:

-Meditate
-Go for a walk
-Practice yoga
-Write in your gratitude journal
-Make a date with someone you love

The opportunities are endless, but the most important part is that you actually do it. Get it on your calendar as a non negotiable appointment. There are plenty of other items on your calendar that you’ve given importance to; why can’t you be one of them?

#2 – Don’t Check Your Phone Right When You Wake Up

Picture this: You wake up, turn over and pick up your phone to start scrolling. There’s usually at least one email or post to semi if not completely stress you out and induce a less-than-stellar emotion (anger, sadness, envy etc). You’ve now started your morning in GO mode and stress hormones start swirling in your body before your feet even touch the ground. You’ve robbed your brain of the chance to make a smooth transition and prepare for the day ahead.

Now the rest of your day is tainted with this sudden jolt of stress. It colors your day and impacts your feelings about yourself and the world around you. The crazy part is, you don’t even notice. You know you don’t feel right, but you can’t pinpoint it and you’re probably too busy to dissect why. This doesn’t have to be your reality every single day.

Imagine what could happen if you:

1. Woke up
2. Thought of 3 things you’re grateful for
3. Performed an invigorating stretch
4. Completed your morning routine (get ready, breakfast, etc)

All before checking your phone? Chances are you’d be a lot more productive and your body and brain have now had a chance to get ready for the day. Now when you check those emails and social media posts you have the strength of a productive and stress free morning behind you instead of a half-awake haze. Your day feels more peaceful and you feel accomplished and thankful before you even get to work. We promise … it works!

#3 – Tame Your Inner Critic With Affirmations

Your inner critic is not who you are at your core. We repeat, your inner critic is not who you are at your core. How much time do you spend obsessing about the past (which we can never return to) or getting fired up about what hasn’t happened yet? How many times have you believed you couldn’t do something and so …you didn’t? Your inner critic told you it wasn’t possible and you shook hands with that opinion. We invite you to not accept this reality. One way to start is by practicing daily affirmations. Some of our favorites include:

I am at peace even when life gets crazy
I am relaxed and free from stress
I release all tension from my mind and body
People are starting to notice how calm and collected I am becoming
My mind is becoming more calm and clear
I am beginning to live a more balance life

With affirmations like these and in general, your inner critic doesn’t stand a chance!

#4 – Write It Out – Then Create A Solution

We are big fans of keeping a wellness log. Things like how you sleep each night, ounces of water consumed, the why behind certain decisions, are all very powerful metrics in the quest to help improve habits that hinder your life. For example, we’ve helped countless people uncover their “eating type”. Why is this so important? It’s important because one of the #1 reasons people come to us is because they feel like they just can’t stop and they don’t know the why behind their reasoning.

Writing it out in the moment helps you view yourself from the outside looking in which means you can be more objective. This doesn’t apply to just nutrition. This can be anything in your life you feel you’ve lost your grip on.

Once you’ve uncovered some patterns, you can get to work on creating a solution. Something you can do right away is to create a “healthy opposite” for each habit you deem a saboteur of your hard work. For example:

1. Eating a donut every morning at work because I feel stressed the moment I walk in the door.  Healthy Opposite: Eating a good size, nutritious breakfast and going for a walk or exercising before work to calm my mind and prepare for the day ahead. Making sure to state my positive affirmations and maybe take 5-10 minutes to meditate.

This exercise isn’t rocket science. Don’t overthink it. Make your list, write out your healthy opposites and then get to work implementing them. You will be well on your way to creating healthier habits long-term.

#5 – Control Your Environment

How frustrating is it when you hang around people who don’t support you in your quest to reach your goals? They say we are an average of the 5 people we spend the majority of our time with; are you making sue to surround yourself with people who challenge you to be a better person and who genuinely want you to succeed?

We talked about how to stay on track amid peer pressure in this post and it’s worth a quick read – you’ll develop some great strategies for navigating the maze of being social while still achieving your goals and not feeling “left out”.

Well there you have it! This concludes our two part series exploring the art of self sabotage. We hope you feel a little more empowered to OWN your life and make decisions that serve your life purpose. As we always say, be the driver in your life and not the passenger.

Was there something that resonated with you in this post? What’s something you’re going to start implementing in your life starting now? Interact with us in the comments!

Until Next Time,

Sham & Christina
Inspired Wellness

About Inspired Wellness

We are a wellness movement aimed at cultivating greatness in all areas of life. We believe that everything is connected and that having the body of your dreams shouldn’t come at the price of your mental and emotional health. You can catch us locally in sunny Sacramento CA inspiring lives at our wellness center with fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs, or online doing the same thing with our new online training site + community coming soon!

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