How often do you tell yourself you ‘should’ do something, or you ‘should’ stop doing something? This is what I mean by ‘shoulding’. It’s a great idea to keep an open mind to some of the things you could choose to do, or avoid doing, that could in fact make you healthier. Just be careful not to ‘should’ yourself. Look at all the pros and cons and decide what works best for you.
It could be you are too busy right now to embark on a regular routine of trips to the gym. In this case, give yourself a break and don’t say ‘I should’ join the gym. No, you shouldn’t, at least not for now. It may be wise to decide this is something for you to consider in the future, so why not decide to revisit the idea when you have a little more time? Watch that you don’t throw this idea away. You could schedule a reminder in your calendar to revisit it when you have more time.
In the meantime, maybe there is a way you could fit more steps into your busy day. A 10-minute workout at lunch, or before/after work, walk to work or the store instead of driving, do some stretching exercises in the morning or evening, or simply walk up and down your staircase a few times. There are many ways you can fit in more steps into your day.
Maybe you heard you ‘should’ eat more fruit and vegetables? Now this you may want to consider. It’s easier and more enjoyable than you think. Make a point of adding more fruit and vegetables to your routine slowly over time and see how it makes you feel. You may choose some other way to enhance your diet after trying this. The thing is to make a conscious choice and if you choose not to, there is no need to keep saying you should.
How about thinking you shouldn’t binge watch Netflix so much? Maybe so. Perhaps you work yourself to the bone 40 hours a week and deserve a little time off doing whatever you want on the weekend. Again, just make it a conscious decision. You either deserve the reward or you don’t, there is no room for should or shouldn’t. And, we do not need to second guess ourselves at all.
For a healthier, clearer mind, make a conscious decision about what you will or will not do. And please stop ‘shoulding’ yourself.