I have a lot of voices going on in my head right now. And they are all yelling as loud as they can their opinions about one thing- my body.
Since moving to the US, I have struggled to find a way to navigate the culture of sugar, processed foods, and sedentary lifestyle. I knew it would be a challenge for my body, but I never expected it to be such a challenge for my brain.
Though I am doing pretty good at sticking to healthy eating and exercise, I still find that I am putting on some pounds. And let me tell you. To my brain, this is a CATASTROPHE! And it is not responding kindly.
I’m a life coach. Mind management is kind of my thing. But I am also a human. And my brain is full of a multitude of personalities.
I have Mr. Compassion, who is saying, “Of course you are gaining weight, love. This has been a stressful time for you. Your body is adjusting. Don’t worry. You don’t need to change anything.”
Then I have the Naughty Nora, who says to my body, “You are so fat now. Look at you. You disgust me. Why don’t you just work the way you should, the way you used to. Why is this such a struggle for you? Come on. Get your act together!”
Critical Cathy quickly chimes in and scolds Naughty Nora, “Hey!!! Stop it! You are such a bully. You are supposed to be kind. Why can’t you just be more compassionate with yourself? You will never fix this with that kind of attitude!”
Then I have People-pleasing Polly saying, “Oh no. What will people think of me? I won’t make any friends now. Even my old friends won’t want to talk to me. My husband is probably even disgusted by me. I need to lose this weight or else everyone will think less of me.”
And on and on and on.
There is no quieting these voices right now. They are all yelling too loudly. Believe me. I have tried. I need a new tactic.
I’ve decided to COACH each one of these vibrant characters. I am going to have a one-to-one conversation with them. As with any of my clients, I will remain curios, open, and non-judgmental. I will not try and “fix them” because they are all 100% lovable as they are- even Naughty Nora.
Because the truth is- all those voices ARE me. And instead of compounding the endless cacophony by yelling, “SHUT UP!!! ALL OF YOU!” I am going to take time to listen to them.
My hope is, when they feel like they are each seen and heard, then they will no longer feel the need to yell so loudly. They may possibly even open to the idea that maybe one of the other voices has a valid point and they can actually learn from one another.
At least, that is my hope. I’ll let you know how that goes.
In what ways do you support/quiet the voices in your mind?
If you need someone to listen and support YOU, PM me or text me for a free mini session.