You know how we’ve been told for years to think positively? Well, the experts are now telling us we’ve been doing it all wrong. Yup, no amount of chanting ‘I am worthy’ in front of the mirror each morning will help boost our self-esteem.
And repeating ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ will not encourage me to relinquish my undying devotion to Häagen-Dazs.
Apparently, we need to fake it to make it, acting as if we already are what we aspire to be, so I should actively push away the ice cream as if I don’t like it.
I tried this last night, taking the enticing tub from the freezer, setting it on the table and then pushing it away, wagging a finger at it, saying ‘naughty ice cream, naughty’.
After I’d finished the whole tub (of course), I looked at the other tips and hints. If you’re feeling down, smile, you’ll feel instantly happier. If you make a fist, you feel more determined. If you strike a powerful pose, you’ll increase your self-esteem. Don’t do what I did though and try them all at the same time – you’ll look like a spaced-out bag-snatcher.
I don’t give up easily, so I gave it another go, concentrating first on the smiling exercise. Whenever I felt a little down, I smiled. And do you know what? I actually think it worked. It’s hard to think negatively when you’re beaming away. Although when I found a half-eaten, two week old sandwich in The Teenager’s bedroom, the smile was more like a grimace.
Moving on, how many of us slump and slouch? I know I do. So I pushed my shoulders back and stood tall, and yes, I felt better. Odd. Making a fist to feel more determined feels a little strange, but I see Andy Murray doing it all the time, so it must work.
There’s a lot to be said for faking positive emotions but I’m not sure if it will become a new habit for me just yet. It’ll have to join The List, along with drinking more water, picking up my kettlebell without keeling over and learning how to cook an artichoke. Meh. Smile!