Spring Is In The Air
Filed Under: Change
1 September 2016 | Written by Xenia Ayiotis
Spring has officially arrived in the southern Hemisphere, the days are longer, the jasmine is blooming and everything is coming alive.
Many years back, in my dieting days, when spring arrived I would scramble to find my new diet and exercise regime to get my body “right” for summer. The cycle of hating my body thinner would begin. By hating my body enough, I thought I could deprive myself into that ideal “summer bikini body”. There are many ways I did this and maybe you recognise some of them:
- Looking critically in the mirror or refusing to look in the mirror at all!
- Judging our bodies openly to others or to ourselves
- Saying things like: “It’s so hot but my arms are so flabby I can’t wear strappy dresses”
- Wearing clothes that are tight and uncomfortable
- Weighing daily and using the number on the scale as a weapon
- Keeping all clothes that don’t fit in full view as evidence of “weakness” and motivation to “gain control of food”
- Not buying new clothes until the number on the scale drops
Hating our bodies comes in many forms – judgement, criticism deprivation, denial and restriction – forms that send a strong message of unworthiness to our body, and we often respond by overeating or bingeing to numb the feelings of shame, regret and guilt.
Is this sounding familiar?
This spring, instead of hating your body to change, recreate your relationship with your body. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Use this season to rid yourself of the old, stale, repetitive behaviour that weighs you down and drains your energy. Take a different approach and reinvent yourself.
Here are some fresh ideas:
- Start something new…perhaps something you have always wanted to do but have postponed till the children are older, you move, next year… Plant a garden, grow vegetables, start yoga or meditation, sign up for that pottery class, get out your sewing machine.
- Practice gratitude for your body – for all the times your body has supported you, taken you to the top of a flight of stairs, stayed awake so you could drive home safely, healed a cut or a bruise and become stronger.
- Let go of things, thoughts and people that drain you and weigh you down.
- Slow down and simplify…. slow down your eating, simplify your schedule. Give yourself the gift of time to do what you truly want to do. Take a few moments in your day to have a “mindful moment” or pause, take a deep breath and move on to the next thing.
- Take a personal retreat away, or at home. Switch off your phone and all electronics. Give yourself time to reflect on the past year and what you would like to incorporate into your life.
- Ask the questions: What do I want to stop doing? What do I want to start doing? What do I want to do less of? What do I want to do more of?
- Move your body. Find an activity that is fun – jump on the trampoline, take up belly dancing, salsa or any dancing for that matter!
May this spring be restorative and inspiring!
Be well! Xen.
Hello, I'm Xen. Welcome!
I help women all over the world drop the struggle with food and their bodies to create a life of peace and freedom.
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