You know how sometimes you do something, and then almost instantly wish that you hadn’t? Like sending late-night text messages. Or sending e-mails at work that are a little too honest.
So I’m tired this morning. In fact, I’m very tired, even after a good night’s sleep. I’m up and working, but I’m battling. So I wander over the road for a coffee and a chocolate croissant. Which I thoroughly enjoy. And then I stop and think, why did I just do that? It’s 10am on a Monday, hardly the time to be unravelling. A glass of water or a cup of tea would have solved the problem. Or even a minute on the balcony taking in some fresh air.
Luckily for me, I don’t do guilt. So I’m over it. I’m not sitting here beating myself up about it. But it made me think. We all make poor choices every week, probably every day. And some of them are impacting our health. So what can we do differently?
After mulling over this while chewing on delicious flaky pastry, I’ve decided that the number one solution is ‘The Pause’. If you’re about to send an aggressive e-mail, draft it, and then pause for a day. Proof read it, and then pause for another day. If you still think it is appropriate to send 48 hours later, go for it. The same applies to text messages, although 48 hours might be a bit extreme….
When it comes to diet, The Pause is the answer. Let’s say you want a chocolate bar. Decide to wait an hour. Drink a water or herbal tea while you wait, because often cravings come from thirst. Keep yourself busy. And if you really want it an hour later? Go for it. Chances are, it won’t happen every day. (Note: I will re-read this post next time pastry-hunger hits).
One of the best things you can do is figure out what days and times you tend to make bad decisions. What are your triggers? Boredom, stress, reward, hunger, thirst, fatigue? Or something entirely different? Do your best to pre-empt the hardest parts of your week. And notice how much better you feel the times that you are tough enough to resist.
When it comes to cravings, think of The Pause as a back-up plan. If you’re well hydrated and you always have your meals and snacks prepared (see last weeks blog), you’re less likely to end up desperately trying to talk yourself out of a vending machine expedition. But even the best laid plans can fall short, so it pays to know how to cope.
When it comes down to it, we’re only human. And if we never made dodgy decisions, we’d have very few stories to tell. So who cares if you trip yourself up sometimes? Learn from it and move on. As long as you take the time to make sure you’re not constantly doing things you don’t want to do, at the expense of your health & wellbeing.
