Change Your Mind - Change Your Body

The biggest obstacle for any change tends to be our own negative thoughts. Actually, the thoughts aren't the main problem - it's that we start to believe them. So what if we switched those thoughts into something more positive? Would we start to believe those too?

The article below answers just that. It relates specifically to fitness but I truly believe that this concept can be applied to any part of your life.

Change your mind, and you just might change your body, too. Psychologists say our “self talk” or “internal dialogue” can make or break a fitness routine.

The problem is that many people simply aren’t aware of how destructive their thoughts are, says Gareth Dutton, a psychologist at Florida State University in Tallahassee who specializes in helping people to exercise and lose weight.

“The thing that precedes your behavior is a thought, and we sometimes aren’t good at getting in touch with our thoughts,” he says. “We’re on autopilot.”

The first step in charting the right course to fitness is to recognize how your thoughts are undermining your exercise plan, says Dutton. The second step is to challenge the negative thinking – and there’s certainly no shortage of that when it comes to exercise.

Playing mind games
The key, Dutton says, is to remember that “a thought is just a thought. It doesn’t mean it’s reality.” read more