Wednesday, October 13, 2010

GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD

So what do I mean by “get out of your head?” Firstly lets look at why you get in your head, what you do there and what effect it has. Is it a bad thing, or a good thing, this being in your head?

Sometimes being in your head is a good thing so that’s not the time to get out of it. For example you may be experimenting with different training methods or approaches to nutrition, or just new ways to achieve some of your goals. Eventually you’ll need to get into your head to evaluate whether your new approach is working, or not. Your head may also be reminding you that when you did X, Y happened instead of the desired Z. Again, this is a good thing. Past experience is valuable in making future decisions ….. but being open to new and different possibilities is even better.

Voices in our heads can be good or they can be bad (just ask Kek). Good voices will spur us on to give our best when our spirit is less than willing. Good voices will remind us that choosing a burger, fries and milkshake for lunch will not help us to feel good in the afternoon. Listen to those voices for they are right.

So when should you get out of your head? Well here is a classic time. The alarm has gone off nice and early like usual. You struggle awake and the voices kick in immediately “its cold outside, you’d be better off staying in bed”, or “you got up yesterday so take a break today”, or “your legs are tired so you’d be quite justified to rest them today.”  Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. Don’t listen to them. Get out of your head. Get out of bed and TRAIN.

Every now and then (and sometimes more often) I get in my head and have the most negative, put me down conversations with myself. Stuff like “I have NEVER been able to maintain a lean physique so what makes this time different?” or “I’ve been a binge eater just about all my life, how can I possibly change now?” or … well just imagine a myriad of negative diatribe playing constantly. Aaaargh I know that I have to get out of my head then.

Finally, do you ever over-analyse stuff? I’m guilty of this and it never produces a good result. I over analyse what I did wrong, even though its too late to change it. I over analyse what I can do to “make it right”, obsessing about the minutiae of all the options for a solution. I fret about should I do X or should I do Y? Inevitably I make a choice or decision from a jumbled and stressed mind so its usually not the best option for me.

Its at those times that I must focus on getting out of my head, letting my mind calm down and letting peace envelop me. The way forward is deep within me, I just have to relax and let it surface. And then I know that everything will be ok.

Can you relate or is being in your head a happy and positive place for you?

3 comments:

  1. I think the worst kind of "in your head" stuff is when some little thing goes wrong (or you're just anxious that it might) and your imagination zooms off into "where might this lead?" land. Then before you know it, you've invented this whole ridiculous disaster scenario in your head that is just not going to even happen. Well, probably not, anyway.

    My husband is a champion at that stuff. He needs to channel his imagination into writing fiction or something. LOL

    I find the trick to dealing with negative voices is to a) recognise them for what they are and b) challenge them with logic. Then they just go "Poof!"

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  2. I'm definitely an 'over analyzer' geeez I'm bad. Over-thinker. blah. It's not good. Sometimes I just have to let it go and as I said to a friend the other day let it 'wash over me', or I'll do my head in! Ok..waffling.

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  3. Thats a great example Kek (imaging the worst will come of something). I've done that too and managed to work myself into a right state. I like the logic approach, as long as the voice is given a chance to speak.

    A lot of good energy gets wasted on over analysing I think Frankie. Letting it wash over is a good way to let it go :-)

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