Wellness Tip No. 32: Retrain Your Brain


lllustration by Justin RenningerLearn how to turn those negative thoughts into positive ones. Avoid extreme thinking.
For example, instead of thinking, “I ate that piece of cake. I’ve blown it. I might as well forget it. I’ll never succeed;” say to yourself, “I ate that piece of cake and really enjoyed it. I’m proud of myself for only eating once piece. I’ll make sure that I eat a little less at dinner to stay within my daily calorie range for the day.”

Turn these negative thoughts into positive ones.

Negative thought…
“I always eat too much. I’ll always be overweight.”
Think again…
“I ate too much today. I need to go for an extra long walk and remember that tomorrow is another day.”

Negative thought…
“I’m not losing as much weight as everyone else. I’m a failure.”
Think again…
“Wow. Jen has really lost a lot of weight, but I’ve lost weight too and am feeling good. Maybe I’ll talk to Jen about what she’s doing and see if it is something I can do too.”

Negative thought…
“I just can’t get up in the morning to exercise.”
Think again…
“This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but I know I can do it. Maybe I’ll ask someone to meet me so I’ll be more likely to exercise if someone is counting on me.”

Negative thought…
“There’s no way I can eat healthy and exercise while I’m on vacation. I’ll just have to start again when I get back.”
Think again…
“I can still eat healthy and exercise on vacation. I’ll just choose healthy menu items and focus on walking a lot. Then I’ll feel completely recharged after vacation – healthy eating, exercise, adventure, and rest.”

Negative thought…
“If I make another mistake, I should just give up.”
Think again…
“I know I can do this. I just need to try a little harder. I’m going to have a plan in place so that next time I’m tempted, I can make better choices.”

Negative thought…
“I gained a few pounds. I’m never going to reach my goal.”
Think again…
“I know that set backs are normal and that I can’t be perfect. What can I do to increase my efforts?”

— UnitedHealthcare