Three Roadblocks Keeping You From Better Fitness

This one doesn't directly relate to meditation. It does however cover the benefits of practicing mindfulness as a tool for getting over your own roadblocks.

“· Examine your trigger. Think about the rationalization and answer the following question: when you gave into it previously, did the outcome ever leave you better off? Probably not.

· Use mindfulness to determine your feelings leading up to the event. Maybe even before your co-worker handed you a cupcake, you had celebratory feelings. You then felt pressure after being offered a cupcake and guilt after finishing it. When these emotions start coming on, examine them objectively, and without judgment. You may want to write this pattern down for future you.

· Realize that you are not your emotions. Think about the last time you felt this emotional pattern—you probably had the same urge, right? This means that it’s not a moral failing if you have the urge to binge eat, binge drink, or watch The Bachelor. Rather, it’s an inevitable one caused by the emotions and events leading up to it. You cannot control your feelings. You are responsible, however, for what you do with them.

· Determine the root cause behind your emotions. Perhaps you are stressed at work because of a deadline. Realize that your need to binge eat or drink stems from the deadline. Figure out what you need to do to fix the root problem.

· Distract yourself with something else and focus on how great future you will feel. Go for a walk or find a relatively harmless vice like computer games. Focus on how good you will feel the next day after you successfully decoupled your emotions from your actions. Know that because of this win, you’re less likely to sabotage yourself in the future.”