Stop Self-Sabotaging Your Health – Part 1

Have you stopped doing what you know is the right thing to do? Have you fallen off the wagon and can't get back on track? What causes us to do these things? I have previously written about self-sabotage of maintaining our good diabetes habits and it may be time to cover this topic again. I have received several emails lately that lead me to this, even though I have answered the emails.

In my previous blog, I covered only four points, but this time I will expand to 10 points.

#1. You’re stuck on auto-pilot. Despite the best of intentions, it’s hard to break out of that comfortable routine to which we’ve become accustomed. Get home from work, eat dinner and slide right into that easy chair. We have become a product of our own conditioning.

#2. You blame your responsibilities. One of the more common ways we sabotage ourselves is by not taking responsibility for our own lives. The reasoning goes something like this. “I don’t have time for exercise because I have to take care of my children/spouse/elderly parent/grandchild.” We all have responsibilities and it’s easy to subconsciously use them as excuses not to go after our dreams, because if we do, we may fail. Remember, doing something is better than doing nothing.

#3. You procrastinate. Another common form of self-sabotage is putting things off. A popular tactic of perfectionists. “Perfectionism leads to procrastination which leads to paralysis,” says Paul Coleman, author of the book, “Finding Peace When Your Heart is in Pieces.” It’s easy to be caught up in minutia and lose time. You can also over think things and spend all your time planning and none of it doing. Please realize it’s better to be done than perfect.

#4. You set unrealistic goals. Sure, it would make a huge difference if you worked out 2 hours a day. But, that’s not likely to happen. So why set a goal that is impossible to achieve? Then you waste time and energy dealing with the guilt that follows. Instead of setting lofty, unrealistic goals, be honest with yourself and come up with a plan you can adhere to and accomplish.

#5. Your friends and family undermine your lifestyle. Who in your social circle seems to get you regularly off the healthy track? You want to eat healthy but your friend talks you into going for pizza. While all relationships are unique, it’s worth examining how you feel after spending time with people. Are you getting an equal share of the relationship? If not, is it because you’re allowing your needs to become subservient to theirs? Perhaps you need to let it be known that you’re on a quest for a healthy lifestyle and ask them if they want to come along for the ride. You might just be surprised by their answer.

I will give the last five points in the next blog.