Ways to start trusting yourself
I’m on a work vacation in my home country, Jamaica.
There’s a little bit of work but doubly more time in the sunshine, playing in the sea, quality time with my family and friends and of course yummy Jamaican food.
In years past, I'd be eating everything I could - because I'm visiting for such a short time - only to be riddled with the discomfort and guilt of over indulging.
This time around, it’s an entirely different scenario.
One where I am enjoying my favorite foods with zero guilt, none of the obsession and a healthy respect for my body’s boundaries.
And it’s been so freeing!
Much of this has come from unlearning and discarding many of the ideas previously held about food and health.
But one important contributor has been leaning more into my self-trust.
Self trust, defined as 'great faith in oneself or one's abilities', has been the driving force behind the ease I find in making food choices regardless of where I am.
It's something you build and practice when you:
Listen to the body voice that sometimes says “I’m feeling full and satisfied” even if there is some food left on your plate.
Acknowledge the thought “I feel for something nice” even though you aren’t hungry and letting it go knowing ‘niceness’ is available anytime if you so choose it.
Take food off the pedestal it's been placed on and treating it as something you choose to have or not, rather than something you earn for being 'good'.
Show yourself kindness when you do overindulge with food, not making it mean anything about who you are.
Call yourself out when you're choosing less than nourishing means and showing yourself grace as you take steps to address.
Do things for your body out of respect and love for it regardless of how it has/hasn't changed.
It's something I wish I'd grasped earlier on in my life.
Which is why it's something I work deliberately to help clients cultivate for themselves, especially around food.
Because without learning to trust yourself, your choices and your ability to handle the outcome of doing so, you'll always be looking to external things to define what's healthy for you.
And as helpful and supportive as coaches are, you will ultimately NEED to stand on your own.
So, if navigating food continues to feel like a tug-o-war of 'should do's or don'ts' consider asking "where can I exercise a little trust in myself".
The more you practice it, the more you build it.
It never stops being necessary and you never stop learning from it.
