Emotional Eating - The Times They Are A Changing

Do you have a to-do list that gets ever longer?

You think that once you are back to your routine after the disarrangement of summer holidays and packing/travelling/unpacking, you might actually GET THINGS DONE!

For a while it works, but pretty soon that old to–do list is getting longer again. And the things that really take the time are often quite small tasks. But by the time you‘ve logged on/emptied it/found him (match appropriately with booking a holiday, facing up to the dishwasher or facing up to the teenager), you’re exhausted.

And twenty minutes have passed and you’ve done ONE THING!

And it’s so, so easy to leave it at that. By doing a) the things that must be done and b) the easy, undemanding stuff, you’ll get through life without forgetting to make the income tax payments or getting socks on your children.

So you’ll avoid jail and have the joy of seeing your children out of the door with matching socks. Not something I’ve always achieved. [Editor’s note – she means she’s struggled with the matching socks, they are so difficult to tell apart].

But, to get back to the story, what fun will you have? And how will you achieve your true life’s purpose? And, heck, no wonder you’re hungry – you’ve got to do something to cheer yourself up in amongst the routine, the humdrum and the matching socks.

But if you want to change what you eat or how you eat, you have to get out of your current routine. It’s too easy, too comfortable at the moment to have an impact on your body. Your mind, on the other hand, likes the way things are.

So how to get out of this?

Change your mind!

And here’s how:

* Decide to be different – not just eating, exercising, the outer stuff. Decide to think differently.

* Tell your mind it’s time for a change. Say it out loud! Go on – frighten the neighbours, the cat, the teenagers!

* Each time you want to eat when you are not hungry, say in your loudest voice ‘It's time for a change’. Jumping around and waving your arms helps. OK, so perhaps not in the office – your colleagues will think you’ve turned into Big Bird. But in your own kitchen – go for it!

* Tell your mind what it will get when it changes, and you can go all out on this one. More energy, more clear headed, more confidence, ultra positive and better able to laugh at your Big Bird impression. What will your mind feel like when it has all this new stuff?

* All of this talking to yourself might sound like an out of body experience. But really it’s an out of mind experience! And without the use of major hallucinogens.

* Thank your mind for being patient and taking you through this new experience – and let it set you up for big changes.

It’s all about changing your mind, and having the courage to take that first decision step to do it.

So change your mind to change your body. And I’ll be talking more about big changes ahead. I can’t say too much just yet but I’ll be letting you know soon!

(c) 2009 Liz Copeland