NEGATIVE SELF TALK: Why even a little bit is bad for you

My brain and I had quite the argument during my workout last night. It went something like this:

Me: Okay, I'm going to push myself tonight, not going to give in to the pain, I'm just going to push through it!

Brain: But, your hip! And your feet hurt! And those knees.....wow do they hurt. You should stop. 

Me: Nope, going to push through this. I am not going to see results if I keep giving up because of a little pain.

Brain: Yes! Give up! You know you can't do this anyway. 

Me: Oh yeah, bitch? YES I CAN! WATCH THIS!

I bumped up the incline and the speed and I pushed through all the pain and finished my workout.

But this little exchange with myself got me thinking: how many times have I sabotaged myself? Entirely too many to count. There is always that voice in the back of my brain saying "you can't" or "you won't" or "why are you even trying? You know you are just going to give up anyway!" 

Negative self talk is extremely detrimental to one's psyche. Even a little can bring on depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. As women, we have a tendency to use negative self talk not only internally, but we are also masters at bringing ourselves down when we are with peers and loved ones. 

So, if you are like me and you struggle with negative self talk, even a little, here is some advice. Obviously I'm not an expert, so you can take the advice I'm about to deliver, or you can leave it, or you can tell me to go jump of a bridge. Regardless, here it is:

When you have a negative thought about yourself, combat it with a positive one. If you think to yourself "man, I didn't go to the gym today, I suck," follow that up with something like "but I ate really well, so I'm still on track!" or "I walked the dog for a half an hour, so I still burned some calories!" Always try to find something positive that you did that day or give yourself a compliment of some kind. It works! 

And if you struggle with workouts like me, remember that results come when you push past your comfort zone. Your brain will absolutely give up before your legs give out, or your lungs stop working, or your arms can't hold the weight anymore. So tell that voice that's tell you you can't, to shut the f&*k up, and go out and get what you want! And if it doesn't happen today, guess what?

Tomorrow is a brand new canvas. A brand new start. 

GO GET SOME! 

LC