I have been chewing on a topic for a blog for quite
some time now. Every time I treat a client for either smoking or helping to
lose weight I think of a potential topic and then I realise it might be similar
to what I’ve discussed before because it is always the same thing: we don’t
care about ourselves enough.
We are so used to giving 110% to our jobs, making
sure we spend enough time with our kids/family/partner/friends. The list goes
on and on. Everybody demands a piece of you and at the end of the day you have
no time or energy left for You. That is why we eat excessively, smoke or drink
too much – we need to escape. No human being can keep up the pace our modern
lifestyle demands of us and not develop one or more destructive
pattern(s).
Life is not going to slow down for us so how do we
cope? My answer to my own challenge is to get help. I woke up a few weeks ago
and realised I hadn’t been for a run in a very long time. I’ve been ignoring
this total lack of enthusiasm and used all the excuses in the book. I know I
need it, that I enjoy it, that it is good for me and that it makes me a better
person when I feel fit and healthy but I just could not get myself to get up
one hour earlier in the morning to go for a run. My partner has been telling me
for weeks about the Park run that takes place every Saturday morning in Green
Point but I kept thinking “I don’t need a crowd to go for a run, I can do it
myself” and then I had to ask myself “So how has that been working out for
you?” I could not ignore the answer any more so I got up last Saturday morning
and I did it. I told my ego to shut up and I went with 197 runners and their
energy helped me to get started again.
The irony is my business is helping and supporting
other people and I see the results every day. It is so much easier to cope with
life and its challenges when there is a support structure. Trust me; I know how
hard it is to admit that you can’t handle these challenges on your own. To
admit you can’t stop smoking on your own or lose weight on your own. But you
know what? Seeking support and help is not a sign of weakness! Not seeking help
is…
