The simple answer is… when you don’t like the results overeating or over drinking get you.
If you are overeating, this can be weight gain, lethargy, or feeling heavy.
If you are over drinking, this may be a foggy head or lower productivity.
The above are examples of physical results. However, there are other negative by-products like beating yourself up, feeling bad and making it mean something terrible about you. You may feel like you are weak or lack willpower when you didn’t say “No” to that second helping of dessert or that second glass of wine. You may even go down the hole of I am not capable.
In our current society, we do place a large emphasis on food and alcohol to bring us ‘Joy’. But when negative consequences start to creep in like weight gain and foggy heads, then you need to ask yourself the question “Does it bring me joy?”, and “Am I putting too much emphasis on food and alcohol to make me happy?”. “Am I getting too much joy from food and alcohol?”
If you find there is an imbalance in the amount of joy you get from food and alcohol, it is time you started to look for other activities that can bring you natural joy, free from the consequences of weight gain, foggy heads, or the constant monologue in your head that tells you, you are weak or not capable.
Check out the list below to find out more ways to stop finding happiness in food.
How to increase joy in your life absent from food and alcohol
- Take up a new hobby
- Take up an old hobby – when I ask clients about old hobbies they used to enjoy, a little dose of happiness spreads across their faces as memories of joyful activities come flooding back.
- Write a list of what you used to love doing as a child – Going to the beach? Jigsaws? Colouring? Swinging (the playground kind!)? Playing with Lego? Reading? Card games? Going to live sport or shows? Playing an instrument? Skipping? Trust me you are never too old!
- Achieve a new goal – learn a language, sign up for a course, walk 10,000 steps in a week, or sign up for a couch to 5km equivalent, learn an instrument, create your own canvas, plant a veggie patch…
- Get outdoors – nature really does improve our mood and bring joy – ever tried Geocaching or creating a treasure hunt? Perhaps a spot of gardening?
- Look at ‘What’s on’ in your community and get involved – art class, exercise, nature walks, cultural walks, fundraising activities, fete’s, farmers markets, speakers…
- Listen to some great music and move your body – this is a regular in my kitchen!!
- Go out to a meal and get joy from the social interaction and having a great conversation.
- Notice the things that do bring you natural joy. I noticed recently how much I love taking off my shoes to walk on grass, or jumping into bed with my hot water bottle and reading a good book.
Enjoy the walk down memory lane and create new activities to explore. When you plant the seed with your brain, it will go to work to find the answers. You don’t need to just pick one activity. I love experimenting with different ones to find a few different options.
If you are finding it challenging to get motivated to lose weight because you have some unhelpful thoughts or want to create the mindset to kick start your weight loss journey then CLICK HERE and sign up for a free 20-minute no-obligation call. Or if you are ready to go, sign up for my Power Hour. The Power Hour is a one-off session to create the mindset and actions to get you taking steps to release your weight and feel better. Click HERE to book in for The Power Hour.
Have a beautiful day
