That ‘s’ word, should

I ‘should’ do this…I ‘shouldn’t’ have done that. How demanding is that little word, ‘should’!? Expecting so much from us. Evoking a strong sense of rigidity, guilt and pressure. Leaving us exhausted and overwhelmed with all our felt responsibilities.

Can you relate?

When working with clients who may have spent years dieting, words like should/shouldn’t and good/bad come up all the time. Societal pressure to look and be a certain way, coupled with engrained diet culture telling us what is/isn’t ‘acceptable’ to eat only adds to this.

Take some time to listen to how you speak to yourself. That inner voice. Is it compassionate? Or is it setting all the rules? What sort of language does it use?

Are you ‘allowed’ to eat the carbs? Do you have set times and days for when you can/can’t eat. Is there a sense of pressure to ‘exercise’ for weight loss? Are you regularly thinking ‘I shouldn’t have eaten that’?

Should. Should. Should.

Intuitive Eating principals and Non Diet Approach says farewell to the language of should/shouldn’t, good/bad and welcomes the ‘coulds’, ‘perhaps’, ‘let’s experiment’. It is wrapped in self compassion, kindness and self-care.

It’s about learning to enjoy all foods without rules. Getting back in tune with our hunger and satiety cues. Finding movement we love to do that leaves us energised. Embracing our body for everything it is able to do, inclusive of shape and size. Speaking to ourselves like we would to a friend or loved one.

Imagine how that might feel…a sense of letting go, relief, freedom?

Perhaps this is something you might like to try?

Consider dropping ‘should’, for good and get curious about what might happen as a result.