Key Messages
Learn How To Be Body Kind With Rebecca Scritchfield’S Mindful Approach To Health And Fitness
Are you tired of all the strict rules that come with trying to stay healthy? Then it’s time to try something different: Body Kindness, a concept that focuses on finding self-compassion and creating a healthier lifestyle.
As author Rebecca Scritchfield explains, this approach is all about understanding who you are and what works for YOU.
You’ll learn how to relax and how to enjoy life without feeling guilty.
Plus, you’ll find out how some “well-intentioned” diets can actually turn into food phobias and why sometimes it’s better to get more sleep instead of worrying over your diet or exercise habits.
Moreover, making a commitment – a PACT – with yourself will encourage positive thinking rather than negative thoughts.
In short, if you’re looking for an approach that values true health over strict rules, start by adopting Body Kindness!
Harness The Power Of Positive Habits To Reach New Levels Of Happiness
Sonja Lyubomirsky found that achieving happiness only relies on 10 percent of external factors.
That means that it’s up to us to make the right decisions and develop good habits in order to experience maximum contentment and well-being.
One such way is by generating happiness through having good habits in place in our daily lives.
We can do this by repeating healthy behaviors regularly, which will then turn into a habit that becomes second nature.
At the same time, developing these habits can also lead to an ‘upward spiral’ – wherein making one positive choice reinforces another one.
For example, if after coming home from work you take the time for 30 minutes of yoga, chances are that you may then be more inclined toward other healthy activities like going for a run or tidying up your room.
These practices can have an overall positive effect on our lives as we become more conscious in how we spend and enjoy our evening, while at the same time being productive and feeling good about ourselves.
Having a few good routines often makes life easier too, so there’s really no excuse not to try this!
The Toxic Emotions Surrounding Food: Why Obsessing Over Your Diet Is Unhealthy
When it comes to your diet, it’s important to find the right balance between healthy and unhealthy foods.
For example, you don’t want to avoid certain food items completely, like bread or dairy, as this can lead to an overly restrictive diet that can do more harm than good.
Take Susan for example, who tried to eliminate bread from her diet in an effort to eat healthily.
But unfortunately, all she was doing was creating a toxic relationship with food.
As time went on, she started avoiding social events where free appetizers of bread might be served – because she feared being tempted by what she couldn’t have.
The point is that if you try too hard to stick to strict dietary rules, it often backfires and leads to an unhealthy obsession with food or even eating disorders like anorexia.
So instead of letting fear and guilt dictate your consumption habits, its important (and healthier) to adopt a more reasonable approach which permits some indulgence within reason.
This also reduces the risk of overindulging and allows you enjoy meals without feeling guilty afterwards.
Exercise Is Good For More Than Just Your Body: How To Incorporate Body Kindness And Enjoy Working Out
Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body if you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Regular exercise, such as cardiovascular and strength workouts, has been linked to many health benefits including decreased risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, improved symptoms of depression, and even a better ability to handle stress.
That’s because during physical exertion, your heart and lungs perform at higher capacities which helps to distribute nutrients and nourish cells throughut your body-including those in your brain!
But despite all the amazing health benefits that come with exercise, only 30% of Americans incorporate it into their weekly routines.
To unlock this full potential of exercise it is important to find an attainable motivation.
This could be in the form of focusing on body kindness rather than targeting the perfect figure that often leads to disappointment when not achievable.
Body kindness concerns itself with understanding how meaningful a workout can be for both emotional and physical well-being-which is probably a great starting point when establishing reasons why you should try out some regular movement or activities!
To help keep these goals in mind, consider repeating mantras like “I will move my body out of love and appreciation.” With an outlook rooted in self compassion, you’ll surely find that exercising becomes far more enjoyable!
Discover The Benefits Of Quality Sleep And Learn How To Get More Of It
You should take your sleeping habits seriously.
Research shows that only 5 percent of the human population can get energized and restored after just six hours of sleep!
The other 95 percent of us need more restful, restorative sleep in order to stay physically and emotionally healthy.
Creating a sleep sanctuary is essential for getting prepared to snooze your eight- to ten- hour nightly requirement.
Start by removing anything from your bedroom that you don’t need during sleep, like your television or computer.
You’ll also want to regularly wash your sheets and invest in a mattress that will provide plenty of comfort and support throughout the night.
Finally, make sure to give yourself at least an hour away from any type of electronic device before hopping into bed.
This will help ease you into a peaceful sleep for the optimum amount of time.
By following these tips, you’ll be sure to set up an environment conducive for a good night’s rest so that you can get all the benefits from a long, deep snooze.
Let Go Of Negative Thoughts To Make Room For Positive Change
It’s easy to get caught up in the negative thoughts we have, and believe that they will lead inevitably to certain outcomes.
You’re told that positive thinking is always the answer, but that’s not entirely true.
The real solution lies in being aware of your thoughts and feelings, and acting mindfully rather than allowing those thoughts and feelings to dictate your actions.
At the heart of Body Kindness Book by Rebecca Scritchfield is an idea called PACT: Presence, Acceptance, Choice, Taking Action.
It’s an important reminder that you don’t need to act on every thought or emotion you experience; rather, with Presence and Acceptance you can recognize them for what they are without letting them control your behavior.
When it comes time to make a Choice about how to proceed, you can remember that just because you have a negative thought doesn’t mean it needs to lead to a negative action – there are plenty of other ways to respond no matter what may be going through your head.
Finally Taking Action means responding with something kind instead—moving forward with intent and commitment towards something positive.
Ultimately, if you act mindfully, then there’s no need for negative thoughts to ever turn into negative actions.
Your attitude can make all the difference here; if you face each situation confidently knowing that nothing is predetermined then you can become powerful enough to override any anxious or anxious-sounding thought patterns!
Making The Mundane Meaningful: Tips To Live A Life Of Joy And Laughter
If you feel like your life could benefit from something more meaningful, it’s important to remember to make the mundane something enjoyable.
One way to do this is by looking for opportunities to get engaged and involved with activities that otherwise may seem mundane.
Take grocery shopping for example; it’s an activity that everyone has to do in order to survive but can become quite tedious if you’re simply going through the motions.
But don’t let it become a chore!
Make it an adventurous hunt by buying new items and visiting different stores.
Another great way to make the mundane meaningful is by remembering laughter.
Not only is laughter one of the most fun things you can do, it’s also good for your overall health!
When we laugh, our bodies produce pleasure hormones like dopamine and serotonin, while reducing stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine.
And when things happen that may otherwise be seen as unfortunate or frustrating? Instead of getting mad, try finding a bit of humor in them instead – it will end up being much more enjoyable for everyone involved!
Bringing a sense of purpose and joy into everyday life doesn’t have to be difficult; having fun and remembering to laugh can go a long way in making any task more enjoyable .
By incorporating these two tips into your life, you’ll definitely notice an improvement in how meaningful your daily activities become!
Creating A Master Plan For Practicing Body Kindness And Finding Joy In Everyday Life
A personalized plan that focuses on what you value is an effective way to lead a healthier life.
This means creating a plan that considers your job, exercise routine, nutrition, and social life to create an overarching master plan that takes into account all aspects of your life.
One great way to begin constructing this plan is to create a mind map.
Start by drawing several distinct circles or other shapes to designate different areas in your life.
Then fill each section with ideas of the positive actions you can take to improve those areas.
Take for example Sheryl who was dealing with work exhaustion and loneliness via fast food and binge-watching TV after her divorce.
She was able make a successful plan aiming for greater body kindness, energy, joy and well being by setting realistic goals such as getting to bed earlier with a book, exercising three times per week, and meeting up with friends once a week.
These kinds of plans can make all the difference in improving our overall health while providing us with desired outcomes like increased happiness.
Self-Compassion Is The Key To Achieving Success And Joy
We’ve all heard the saying “no pain, no gain,” but fighting and pushing your way through hardship is often not the best way to make real self-improvements.
Though it might seem like it’s okay to be hard on yourself and regularly dole out self-punishment, it can lead to feelings of exhaustion and disheartenment — not success.
That’s why using self-compassion as a form of taking care of yourself can be a helpful tool for achieving happiness and meaningful life goals.
Rather than overloading yourself with critical thoughts about your weaknesses or inevitable mistakes, take the time to speak kindly — as you would to a good friend — and appreciate your strengths.
For example, if you’re feeling discouraged from job searching, remind yourself that finding a job can be difficult for anyone — and then remind yourself about times when you’ve overcome obstacles in the past.
Encourage yourself by offering kind words instead of criticizing or berating yourself.
Body kindness is essential for being successful, so speaking to yourself as if you were talking to your best friend is an important part of the journey.
With commitment, self-compassion will become easier and less foreign until eventually it’ll become second nature!
Wrap Up
The key takeaway from this book is that Body Kindness is a compassionate approach to health and fitness that focuses on the long term rather than strict and short-term goals.
By developing a personalized plan based on your values and circumstances, you can find ways to do less, rest more, eat the foods you love, and experience more joy in life.
By changing unhealthy thought patterns, laughing more often, and practicing self-compassion, you can use the tools of body kindness to take control over your mental well-being.
To put it all into action, start by rediscovering which activities make you feel really happy and energized.
Make a list of things that excite you when you have an unlimited day with no limits at all – then get cracking!
It’s only by doing something we love will we be able to enjoy life more fully.
