Hi everyone.
Thought I would do something a little different today and do a little fill in the blank exercise with you.
Many of you may find that sometimes it is really hard to get the motivation to do things which are healthy for us. Let's make a short list of things we all probably want to do but we seem to have every excuse in the book for not doing. And I do want to preface all this by saying that depression makes everything hard. Depression is not an "excuse" but a real challenge and at times it may feel like a rock like obstacle. Yet in addition to our depression we also create excuses not to do the things we really want to do. So I thought it might be both interesting and helpful to explore and debunk these excuses.
Here are some possible physical and mental health goals you may be avoiding:
- Exercising
- Eating healthy
- Taking time to relax
- Getting therapy
- Making an appointment to get a physical
- Being assertive
- Taking time to go out with friends
- Going out of your comfort zone to try something new
These are just some examples of goals we may have for ourself but for whatever reason we sabotage our efforts to actually do these things because we have a zillion excuses.
1. Tell us one physical health or mental health goal you have been avoiding.
2. List all your excuses! Let's hear each and every one of them.
3. Next we will help you to debunk your excuses so that you can do what you really want to do.
Here is my personal example:
1. Exercise has been hard for me in the past months and I have been avoiding it like the dickens even though I know it is good for me.
2. My excuses for not exercising include: I am too tired, I don't feel like it, I am sore from my last work out, I will do it tomorrow, it won't work anyway, I don't have time, I am having a bad multiple sclerosis day, I have PMS, I have my period (the last two excuses can carry me through two weeks at least), it is too hot, I don't care, I don't want to get sweaty, I would rather eat cake.
Actually I have more excuses but I will stop there. You get the gist.
But the thing is..when I actually do start to exercise, it feels good! So sometimes it is just that getting up and starting to do the thing you want to do that you know in the end will be good for you.
Okay...who's turn is it? We want to hear it!
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... and it seems like i have a thousand. Too tired, too busy, too late in the evening and wont be able to sleep, back hurts, kid dont really want to walk blocks with me, too hot, too cold, too many barking dogs in neighborhood, to many people watching( and i know there not really but it works when i cant think of nothing else, something i will miss on tv, just ate, pms, all of them are leget, but excuses none the less.