EMOTIONS OVERRIDE LOGIC...

Do you ever wonder why some days you feel so rational and in control of what you plan to do with your nutrition and training and other days you feel completely out of control and make flippant decisions that you later regret? 

Our brain has multiple areas, each carrying out different functions. Our frontal lobe for example deals with problem solving, decision making, logic and reasoning, whilst our limbic system controls emotions, stress responses and behaviours. The frontal lobe operation is slow, pragmatic and measured whereas our limbic system is impulsive and irrational. 

We’re designed this way of course and it serves us in survival and balance. But there are some ways that we fall victim to our limbic system and impulsive choices when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle and especially in relation to our weight loss journey.

Emotions are our reactions to our own personal experiences, they are not based on logic and whilst it’s hard to control emotions, we can put in place practises to help us navigate emotional decision making that isn’t in alignment with our body and health transformation journey. We can also pay attention and focus on our conscious mind which is where we have control and logic and bring ourselves out of the subconscious moments where we exist in emotion and make decisions that don’t align with our initial plans.

We can navigate some of these weaker, unplanned moments by planning ahead, staying aware, focused and keeping your goals and intentions at the forefront of your mind. If you have a plan to follow for the day, write it down, keep it in front of you, prepare as much as you can the day before when you’re feeling balanced and strong. Stop, breath and think before you act. If your day is tripped up by negative emotions; slow down, stop, breath, process it and then refocus, come back to your purpose and your plan. 

We need our emotions, we don’t want to squash them. But we can use them to motivate, inspire, excite and imagine great results and desired outcomes and practise mindful, centred, controlled  presence and breath to mitigate unplanned, regretful choices and actions. Practise mindfulness, meditation, breath work and relaxation techniques daily and get adequate, good quality sleep and you will remain in control and on track permanently.