coming back after you've fallen off with real food in this post we'll give you our best advice for getting back on track after falling off, whether it was one event or an extended period of time.
what does falling off mean?
when we say "fallen off" this implies that you are off right now and want to get back on! so whether it's been 1 meal, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, or longer, if you're off you're off! and you need to get back on. we want to help.
you're not alone. * everyone does it. no one is ever perfect. it's usually relative to where we are our your journey. earlier in our journey, we tend to go off worse and more often than later. * going off contributes to your learning, wisdom, and evolution. we must have ebbs and flows, ups and downs, ins and outs. this is where all the learning and resilience happens. every time we go off and come back, we are strengthening our capacity to come back, and more than likely, we stay "on it" longer and longer. * contrast clarifies. we all need contrast between what we want to be doing and how we want to feel, contrasted with what we are doing and how we feel in our suboptimal moment(s). contrast clarifies what we want and where we want to be. when you are suboptimal, you get clear on what you don't want, and what you want instead. this is powerful.
remember our values. some of our values are very relevant to falling off and coming back. for a refresher on our values, watch or listen to this post / podcast.
constant learning and experimentation. part of learning and experimenting is allowing ourselves to fall off and learn from our suboptimal moments. which over time leads to a personalized way of doing things, within the general guidelines of the SHT, which leads to honed intuition.
it’s about the journey and enjoying the process. there is never a final destination, there will never be a time when we are “there” or “done.” there will never be a time when we are perfect and don't need to work on this.
here's what to do. 1) acknowledge it. accept it. and learn from it. sit down and think for a moment - when did this first happen? what was the situation that led to the cascade of events that got you here? where was it? when did it happen? is this something that may happen in the future that you can somewhat predict and plan for?
honesty with ourselves is one of the keys to progress. we must stop rationalizing, get real and be honest about where we are, how we feel, where we fell off, and what we need to do to get better.
2) do a little emotional damage control. it's difficult when we are in the funk, in the fog, feeling off, to have positive conversations. but this is exactly what we must do. this is where the deep work comes. it's easy to be positive and happy when everything is going our way and we're feeling great. we need to carry that with us into the darker moments.
3) think about what you want and visualize it. anytime we want to do anything we have to see it first. it's the way we work. to be successful with getting back on it, we have to see ourselves doing it, and feeling how good it feels to be back on it. this plants the seed to do the right thing at the right time. just like visualizing a perfect squat helps facilitate doing a perfect squat when we actually do it, visualizing yourself doing the right thing, and imagining how it feels, facilitates it. once we see it and feel it enough, we've planted the seed for it, and it is inevitable that we will do move in the direction of doing what we continue to see on a regular basis.
4) address your personal areas of concern. * set your home and workplace up for success. make sure you have nothing laying out! we are wired to eat! * workplace temptations? plan to avoid the break room or the snack room! * family and friends? have a difficult conversation with the people you spend time with! let them know, it's nothing personal, but you are trying to do what feels right and what is good for you. you can still show up to events and get-togethers without eating junk! or maybe you just need to avoid those things altogether? * being alone? try embracing the space! many people are caught up in relationships and partnerships that don't allow them to enjoy time on their own. try to find some rituals associated with your time alone. cooking while listening to your favorite music and having a glass of wine can be therapeutic. * cooking vs convenience? fall in love with cooking again! when you cook for yourself, you're nourishing yourself. it's worth taking the time to prepare your own food because this is what nourishes you!
5) other considerations. * habit takes repetition. going off and coming strengthens your capacity to come back in the future. every meal you get right strengthens your habit of getting it right! * consider habit stacking. stack eating real food with a habit you already do. make eating real food prerequisite to your other habit. * meditate. consider apps such as 10% Happier, Sam Harris' Waking Up, or our favorite our meditation playlist here (watch in order). regular meditation will help you "catch" urges and be more present with your choices. * be sure to exercise. fitness combined with real food is extremely synergistic and makes you feel good about yourself. * practice love and kindness to yourself. * reaching out to a friend, a group of friends, the SHT community, me, us, or any of the tribe members.
remember to download our coming back forms. they are from the heart and we know they can help.
if you have any feedback or points we can use to make this better, please contact us.