As I work on always having a healthy relationship with myself, food, and exercise, and as I help others do the same, reflecting and setting intentions is a big part of that. A lot of times we think or we’re told that reflection and goal setting or intention setting just happens at the new year or for a new quarter, etc. It’s like there’s a specific date or time that you have to do it, and I don’t believe that to be true. I think that at any point in our life if we’re struggling, if we need to refocus, or if we need some help or change, reflecting and/or setting intentions/goals can be helpful!
I love having goals to work towards, and I think that is important to an extent.
However, I do believe that setting intentions and focusing on what you want is more important. Manifesting is also a big part of this. My clients (and myself) oftentimes struggle with that mean inner voice, the critic inside their head that’s always tearing them down. It’s one of the things that I work on with my clients, and I always remind them that it’s easier to change what you’re saying to yourself than it is to change what you believe about yourself. BUT, they’re very connected!
As you start to change what you say to and about yourself, you will also start to notice shifts and changes in your beliefs about yourself. It’s kind of the same with manifesting and setting intentions for your life.
Let’s say you have a really unhealthy relationship with food right now. It may not be easy to change your actions and behaviors and beliefs when it comes to food, but you can start to change how you’re talking about yourself and your relationship with food. If you start to tell yourself every day that you eat foods that are good for your body and that you love; that you have a healthy relationship with food; and that food is not a struggle for you, over time you’ll start to believe that and your behaviors surrounding food will probably start to change a little. It’s a beautiful way to help change your beliefs, which in turn helps to change your behaviors.
In the last episode, 2023 Intentions on my podcast Health, My Friend, I walk you through some prompts to help you reflect on the last year and dream about this new year. If you’re feeling stuck, like you need a change, or like you want to set some goals or intentions for this year specifically, or just for the next few months, I would encourage you to go listen to that episode. Let’s look back at where you’ve been, not to beat yourself up or start to feel discouraged, but to dream about what the future can look like.
You are deserving of beautiful relationships with yourself and food – don’t buy into the lie that it will never get better.
Abby Horst
A podcaster, wife, health/wellness coach, beach lover, and musician. She specialises in nutrition education, meal planning, and developing sustainable habits. She passionately works with her patients to help them build healthier and happier relationships with food, exercise, and themselves.
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