Life is all about Ups and Downs
As we all know, In life, you find moments of incredible happiness and also sadness. The most important thing is to find a way of managing these ups and downs, whilst being healthy and stable and not running to food to make you feel better, safe or secure; as this is only a short term solution rather than one that enables you to grow and learn. It requires a lot of discipline once you have bad habits to not immediately react to these triggers in destructive ways. And while it is hard to believe in benefits you won’t see for weeks, when short term pleasures are right in front of you, all you need is the discipline to do it.
I think one of the important things is not to beat yourself up when you fail. Everyone does here and there. Avoid the downward spiral! You gain 20lbs by gaining one lb at a time and you lose it the same way. You just have to try to fail less than you succeed, and remember how good succeeding feels next time you have your hand in the cookie jar. The feeling of empowerment that I derive from battling some of these vices is way better than a sugar rush or alcohol buzz, by a long shot.
Identify what it is that makes you overindulge. Often, we compound all our problems into one thing, as a way of finding control in a situation, where there is absolutely no control. For everyone, it is important to feel that some aspect of our life is controllable; otherwise you feel completely lost and lacking in any sense of security, which is hard for anyone to cope with. I mean, consider buying a house; it is a human desire for stability (of course coupled with a good investment) and something over which you have control.
It is common to feel blue and when you do, it is convenient to take the easiest option to focus all that sadness. Some people focus that nervous energy on their family, and some on their significant others, and others target themselves. However, when you choose yourself, without knowing it, you are making a concerted effort to hurt yourself, usually through overeating or drinking too much, and becoming overweight and unhealthy. It is the easiest and typically most direct choice which usually has no repercussions outside of what happens to your own fitness and well-being. This is an easy target to put stress and worry, as you don’t have to deal with anyone else’s emotions. However, by turning that energy into a positive outlet, namely fitness activities, you are not only positively influencing your own health and happiness, but most likely also inspiring those around you to do the same.
Some possible, effective solutions:
Be productive; take a course, learn a new language or a new skill. Take a trip, buy a book and learn about a culture; or take on a new hobby; or go for a run, bike ride, or a swim.
Take that nervous energy that manifests itself negatively in your life and make it positive. It seems impossible, but the energy is there, so why not use it for good!