"Down the rabbit-hole"
It's a phrase we use in my house to describe the spiraling of a mindset tethered by fairly common, albeit faulty, assumptions of outcome. Some days our minds wander- and mentality is everything. If you think you can, you can. If you box yourself in before beginning, you've relegated yourself to fairly expectorant possibilities.
Have you ever felt like you were carrying around a lead balloon? One filled with an all-encompassing topic, or something as simple as a long list of to-do's? A heavy weight you pass back and forth between arms when one side becomes tired like an enormous newborn.
I know I have.
Mentality is everything- to breaking barriers, to setting goals, to specifying time for work and play.
A personal strategy of mine for these heavy lead-filled balloons is simple: name them. Too easy, right? Try it and see. Verbalize it. Out loud. Give it a name and the result may surprise you. You will still have to wade through the encompassing topic, or finish your to-do's. but. BUT. That heavy balloon loses it's power when you name it. Often, it becomes lighter. Almost helium-filled, lifting us over these moments filled with overwhelming emotions. As an added bonus, if you have little ones as I do (read eyes everywhere), they'll see it. They then begin to recognize and name their emotions out loud (makes our jobs a little easier & develops healthy habits with them too).
Those lead or helium balloons transfer to our nutrition. Anyone ever over eat as a result of an emotion? If you didn't raise your hand (mentally), you're not being honest. In times of "overwhelmed" we seek comfort..nostalgia. Maybe it's in pick-up food so you don't have to expend the brain-energy on cooking. Maybe it's a drink or three. Maybe it's a baguette with butter. Or chocolate. Or depriving yourself. Both ends of the spectrum can be detrimental to your nutritional equilibrium. So name it. Name the emotion, name the behavior. "I'm exhausted. Because I'm exhausted I want to eat this whole bag of popcorn." Then wait. Let your statement land and see if it changes how you feel about the emotion & the behavior. Take a small bowl and accompany it with tea instead. Or promise yourself to wait an hour before eating (or drinking) anything other than water and monitor your decisions. Because mentality is everything. What you feed yourself physically changes your mentality.
Need a nervous system reset? Try an adaptogenic Anti-Anxiety Shake made with ashwaganda (try it even if you cannot pronounce it).
Need a quick no-brain engagement meal? This 10-Minute Chili Almond Butter Noodle recipe is wayyy better than take-out. Add chicken for a protein boost. Use rice noodles to make GF (remember to rinse, then re-add to the sauce), and cook some broccoli on the side for a veggie.
Want a whip-up-able snack? These 4-Ingredient Peanut-Butter Cookies are the nostalgia you've been looking for (in moderation).
Want more recipes tailored to your needs? That's what I'm here for. Check out the meal plan options page for more here.