Do you feel terrified of missing out? Maybe you’re worried about missing out on wine with your girlfriends. Maybe you don’t want to miss out on ‘living life’ by eating with abandon on the weekends. Or maybe you’re afraid not to have food to go to when life gets tough
If you struggle with the fear of missing out, here are a few perspective shifts to help you think differently:
- Focus on what you’re gaining instead of what you’re missing out on
If you’re driving a car and you see something in your way and stare at that object, you’re probably going to crash into it. But if you instead, focus on where you want to drive to swerve around the obstacle, you can avoid crashing. If we focus on what we’re missing out on, that’s what we’re going to fixate on. It’s going to be hard to avoid that feeling of deprivation when we’re that focused on something. But what are you gaining by giving up the excess wine or chocolate? You’re gaining confidence in your body. You’re gaining energy. You’re gaining vibrancy and feeling amazing in your skin. That’s a lot to gain!
- Think about what you’re missing out on by choosing the indulgence
Yes, you might be missing out on the temporary relaxation that comes from half a bottle of wine at night or from the sugar rush after eating a bunch of chocolate. But by making these choices on a regular basis, you’re missing out on so much more. Maybe you’re missing out on quality sleep. You’re missing out on energy. You’re missing out on confidence. You’re missing out on truly living your life because you’re always distracting and numbing yourself with food. You’re missing out on the opportunity to feel like you’re in alignment with your vision for yourself, like you’re being the fit, healthy person you know you can be.
- How can you achieve the feeling you’re after some other way?
You don’t really want the wine or the comfort foods. You want to feel a certain way, and you’ve trained yourself to use food or alcohol to give you those feelings. Maybe you’re seeking stress relief after a tough day. Maybe you’re seeking connection with your friends during girl’s night. The first step is getting clear on what you truly want, and the second step is finding other ways to achieve these states without always turning to food.
- Life is full of ‘ands’
If you need to choose between living life and living a healthy lifestyle, it’s not a lifestyle. How can you enjoy your night out and feel proud of your choices? It’s possible to keep our goals in mind and have an amazing time. It doesn’t have to be one or the other. One of the best ways to find your ‘ands’ is to plan ahead for special occasions.
Try planning for one glass of wine during a social function and see how you feel. Reflect on whether or not this worked for you, and then adjust as needed.
Will it be easy? Not always. But all of this becomes WAY easier when you change your perspective. You get what you focus on…and what you focus on is your CHOICE.
You are worth it,
Tanja x
