Mind Games

Your mind is a powerful tool. It can help you reach your goals, but it can also prevent

you from it. When you think negatively, “you boost production of the stress hormone which

affects your health, your weight and your mind.”, according to Dr. Daniel Amen, award winning

physician, psychiatrist and best-selling author. So for the New Year I challenge you to change

your thinking into good, valuable, constructive and positive thoughts.

“In his new book Change Your Brain, Change Your Body, Dr Daniel Amen identifies

the infuriatingly common scourge: the ANT (Automatic Negative Thought), which he describes

as ‘the -little voices that pop into your head and tell you you’re not good enough, not thin

enough, a rubbish daughter, mother, worker’.”

Everybody has these self-destructive thoughts once in a while, but it’s a matter of

how many, how often and what you do about it. Do you beat yourself up for eating too many

cookies? Are you dwelling over how much you should have gone to the gym this past month,

but you haven’t?

Push them away, out of your head and see what you can accomplish. Focus on a game

plan. What CAN you do, to better the situation? Forget about things you can’t control and take

action where you HAVE the power to change something.

- “I ate way too much over the holidays, my love handles are hanging over my belt”

-> “I will bring a healthy snack and lunch to work on Monday to cut down on calories”

- “I haven’t worked out in ages. I feel flabby”

-> “I will write down the times I’ll be at the gym this week, and follow through with it”

- “My skin feels wrinkly, I’m getting old”

-> “I will make sure to drink plenty of water and get enough sleep”

There are many ways to accomplish more positive thinking. Put positive goals on a sheet next

to your bathroom mirror. Think self-boosting, not self-destructive, just like the little engine going

over the hill “I think I can, I think I can!” What you think is what you are.

Get used to the positive and get rid of the negative. Your body will thank you.
 
Have a great New Year!
 
Yvonne