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Self Sabotage

Wendy Bennett
May 28, 2015
2 min read

I’m sure you will have heard the term "Self Sabotage" and it is highly likely you have been experienced it at some point whether you’ve have realised it or not. The problem being that many of the thought processes that go in to self sabotaging can be automatic, meaning you are not consciously aware of the decision you are making for example:

You’ve been doing really well with your new eating plan. You get a phone call from a friend who is critical of your choices and tells you they don’t know why you bother as you never stick to anything. Upset after the phone call you go to the cupboard for a biscuit, you are mulling over the things your friend has said to you and before you know it the whole packet of biscuits is

gone.

You know you are trying to be healthier, you know this isn’t in your eating plan so why did you do it? How conscious were you of your thought processes behind eating just one biscuit as opposed to the whole packet? Often we feel as though we are making choices when in fact we are just operating out of habit, doing things that are so automatic we are not consciously aware of the actions. This is similar to when you are driving a familiar route and suddenly find yourself at a set of lights. You think back and don’t recall a small part of the journey because it is so routine and so normal.

Self sabotaging happens most often when you are trying to form new habits, such as when trying to lose weight or become healthier. You know the feeling of “Shoot it’s Friday again and I haven’t been to the gym” or “I don’t understand it, I’ve stuck to the eating plan but I haven’t lost any weight”. It can feel as though you are fighting a losing battle and just don’t know where you have gone wrong. This is a sign that you need to become more aware of your thoughts and actions. These automatic thoughts and actions are usually what are responsible for sabotaging your previous positive thoughts and actions.

Don’t be too disheartened, it takes time to create new habits and break old ones. It also takes a great deal of self awareness to recognise and acknowledge the thought processes that are contributing to your lack of success. Being self aware takes time, practice, commitment and patience, the same as any new habit you are trying to form.

Keeping a journal or diary is always a great way to start. By writing down the details surrounding an event can highlight triggers, thoughts, actions and feelings that you were unconscious of at the time. The aim of counselling is to assist you in recognising your triggers and changing your thought processes and actions to a positive rather than the self sabotaging negative.

If you would like to learn more please contact Wendy 0491 154 588 or email amazeinlife@hotmail.com