Over the last few weeks, I've found myself in a negative spiral. I've caught myself engaging in behaviors that many would call "self-sabotage" -- (eating the extra serving of dessert, having the extra glass of wine, indulging in the morning bagel a few too many days in a week, and hearing a lot of negative self-talk as I look in the mirror). Ever since I hurt my ankle 2.5 months ago, I haven't been able to exercise, and the loss of this ability has put me into a negative frame of mind overall with my health. I've been eating unhealthy foods and my mindset has been unmotivated.
Looking back on the past 2.5 months, I feel even worse if I think about all the things I "should" be doing. For example, I "should" be focused on eating very healthy foods since I can't exercise, I "should" be trying to do core exercises on the floor that don't require my foot, I "should" be doing...blah blah blah. My brain basically turns off when I think about all these "shoulds." And that's just it. I've realized that rather than thinking about all these "shoulds" that lead me further into my negative spiral, I can instead focus on just ONE thing that I think I CAN do.
All the other "shoulds" seem a bit like an uphill battle when I think about them all at once. But if I think about just one thing that I can do that helps me feel really good - it doesn't seem insurmountable. So I've decided to refocus on my meditation practice - and make sure that I get in one 15 minute session everyday. I don't think this is impossible. In fact, before I got hurt, I was meditating for 15 minutes twice a day - and had done it for 40 days straight! So one session isn't going to break me.
I started focusing on this one thing earlier this week, and I can tell you that I'm already experiencing a "halo" effect. I've been making healthier food choices since then, and I already feel like the negative spiral is at an end. I am no longer engaging in all the self-sabotaging behaviors at once, and I feel better about myself. So the big "aha" from all this? When life seems messy and you aren't feeling that great about everything - focus on just one thing you can do to help yourself feel better. If you commit to just one thing that seems do-able, more things can and will start to fall back into place.
What's your one thing? Let me know in the comments below!