Self help column

Do you feel like you are always asking yourself why you ate a particular food, why you cannot stop smoking or why did you drink more alcohol than you intended on a night out?

The definition of willpower is“control exerted to do something or restrain impulses”. Control can be like a battle. If you feel like you have always had a constant battle with yourself when it comes to making good helpful choices then take a few minutes to write down all the negative thoughts that you have about yourself. I am stupid I am useless I hate myself I have no willpower Why did I ..... ? If you are thinking these thoughts every day in life then is it any wonder that you feel like you are not worth the effort? These beliefs about yourself are limiting your decisions when it comes to the choices that you are making.

Change those thoughts, challenge them.

For example you could replace them with:“In the past I thought that I was useless, that I was stupid, that I was an idiot, or that I was a waste of space but now I know that is not true and that I am a valid person who is not any of these things.

“In the past I believed that I had no willpower but now I know that I can make choices based on what will make me feel healthy.

“In the past I was an unhealthy person but now I see myself as a healthy person.”

Change the tense of what you are thinking from present to past and see how it affects your mindset for the better.

Start now and every time you get one of the old negative thoughts immediately replace it until the new belief becomes your first thought. Fiona Pediani