Two Thoughts to Share: Pigeonholing Ourselves and A Reminder to Ask Questions!
Hello, Friend! Happy Tuesday!
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These two thoughts come from recent client conversations. Here goes…
Thought one:
Be careful not to pigeonhole yourself.
This client said something along the lines of, “I’m just not the kind of person who can stay motivated and continue to perform habits for a long time.”
On the one hand, she knows herself. On the other hand, she may be pigeonholing herself.
The more we tell ourselves we’re “not the kind of person who can ________” the more we BECOME the person who doesn’t ________.
SO, if you ever catch yourself with these kinds of limiting beliefs you have some options.
Option 1 is to create an identity statement/mantra to repeat/write down/remember/say out loud to yourself until you believe it and are actioning it. In this case it might be something like, “I stick with my habits.” or “My habits are long lasting.” Or “_______ is a nonnegotiable in my life.” Whatever it is, say it and continue to do the thing until it’s real.
Option 2 is connect these things we don’t believe we can do to things we already do and enjoy. For example, if you want to create a habit around fitness but hate going to the gym, you can attach your exercise to walking your dog, something you already do and love! Now, instead of going to the gym, you can run hills with your dog, or wear a weighted vest on your walk with your dog, or carry a dumbbell for the duration of your walk with your dog. You get it. Now, it’s not a dreaded trip to the gym, but instead we’re killing two birds (pun on pigeonholing!) with one stone AND developing a long lasting habit in the process.
Thought two:
Remember to ask questions.
In our weekly email correspondence about her nutrition, another client asked me: “I would like to chat about Chia Seeds and Flax Seeds! I sprinkle them into things but don't really know why.”
Upon further conversation, she said that she had heard that chia and flax were good for her, so she started to put them on/in foods she ate, and even sneaks them into pancakes and muffins for the kids, but she doesn’t really know what the benefits are.
What’s my point in bringing this up?! Don’t be afraid to ask questions and get the information you need, like she did here!
In this case, she was able to ask me. My response: Flax seeds have some fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3s! Chia seeds also have some fiber, some protein, and omega-3s! They can both help control cholesterol, and have vitamins and micronutrients, too! They’re great for sprinkling on things or including in your recipes!
If you have questions like this, you’re welcome to ask me and I’ll help if I can or direct you to other resources. BUT, the point in including this note in here is that we should ask other people questions when they assert that we should/shouldn’t eat a certain thing, or do a certain exercise. If it’s on social media, comment or DM the person. If it’s in real life, ask for clarification. If the reason doesn’t sound “good enough” to you, you don’t have to listen to that recommendation, or seek out another source.
Side note: I’ve mentioned this resource before, but I love Consesnus.app for this kind of thing… you can ask questions and the site sifts through scientific studies to give you the best answers it can. Keep it in mind for instances like this! Here’s what I got when I asked about the benefits of chia seeds, for example:
I imagine we all have some things we do that we don’t really know exactly why we do them, and here’s your invitation to look more closely at those things, ask questions if you have them, and reanalyze if they’re right for you to keep doing!
If you have thoughts on these two points, or a question like the flax/chia one that came up for you, please share int he comments or email me at sara@nutritionforlifeproject.com!
As always, thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Sara