Millstone Vs Milestone
A typical weight loss journey will throw up challenges and difficult encounters. For some, a minor inconvenience is nothing but that, but for others, it can throw up a state of high anxiety. The fact is, no two weight loss journeys are the same. However, there are many similarities and our tools and support materials tap into those similarities so that we are able to share that knowledge and expertise with clients across our clinic network.
I’ve been working on rolling out the Positive Affirmations project and I’ve been absolutely amazed at the overwhelmingly positive feedback. In checking back in with some of the clients, I happened to strike upon a really interesting observation.
One client used framing to tackle her challenges; for every challenge she overcame or for every day she completed in her food diary, she regarded them as milestones. Earlier in her journey she’d faced some issues and she was down in herself and she could only think of the programme and what she was trying to do as a millstone.
As an avid crossword fan and she’s not sure why, but the thought occurred to her to change from millstone to milestone, just by changing a letter she reframed her viewpoint. In an instant, she said she felt relieved and from there on in decided to regard every issue overcome, every challenge completed, every negative thought vanquished as milestones on her journey.
It’s such a simple and clever word play but the outcome is so, so powerful. Nothing to stop you from using it!
I’ve no doubt that many of you reading this will have faced those challenging moments or issues. Remember last week? My male client and how I asked him to use the ABCD framework. He’s flying along.
What about you? How are you feeling this week? Remember, it’s really important to be kind and compassionate to yourself: self-care.
Are you being good to yourself? Some of us learn, to our detriment, that when we discard self-care, we become energy bankrupt. If this happens frequently, then it’s our body’s way of raising the red flag. If our bodies could talk they’d probably say ‘Mind us better’ at these occasions.
But some believe we are getting better at it. There’s a growing movement in self-care which means some of us are finally learning that there’s nothing selfish or luxurious about it. No longer is it the fluffy concept it was once believed to be. It’s a proven and highly effective strategy for strong mental health and resilience, perhaps even a vital tool for preventative health overall. And, better still, everyone benefits from it – including our loved ones.
From millstone to milestone, try this word play over the weekend.
