Why Do We Feel Like We "SHOULD"?
You know when you're crawling into bed at night and there's that voice in your head that says "I should get up early and go to the gym before work tomorrow"? Or when you're laying on the couch all morning on a Saturday thinking, "I should go for a walk instead of laying around all day"; when you're at a holiday buffet table full of veggie trays and six different kinds of desserts, telling yourself, "I should eat a plate of carrots and hummus instead of the dessert."
I should have diet soda instead of regular.
I should sprint outside instead of jog.
I should lose 4 lbs before spring break.
My question to you is "Why?"
What makes you think that you should do something? Is it because magazine covers read "Lose those last 3lbs and land the man of your dreams!", "Why eating ice cream can ruin your diet forever", "Here's a list of 56132 foods you should never eat"? Because everyone else is doing those things? Because if you don't do those things, you will instantly become worthless, useless in this world, unloved, shamed, and undeserving?
I had New Year's Day off from work and I fully took advantage of it by laying on the couch for hours on end, watching Lifetime movies and putting together a new 750-piece puzzle I bought last week. Now, I do enjoy relaxing and being lazy from time to time, but I must say that it is unlike me to sit in one place for almost a whole day and do "nothing". After about an hour, I thought to myself "Alright, it's about that time- I should go to the gym." But my body, exhausted from a night out with friends on NYE, felt otherwise. I was tired, sore, and my feet were hurting from my black high-heeled booties that helped me dance the night away. Then I felt even more unlike myself; I NEVER voluntarily skip the gym, especially when it's leg day. My favorite.
Another hour passed and I began to get hungry, with a funky appetite due to a combination of alcohol and lack of sleep then night before. "I should make a big protein-filled lunch with some veggies," I thought. But that didn't sound good. Nothing I had at home sounded good. "Well, if I'm really not going to the gym today (just thinking that to myself made me cringe), I should stay on track with my nutrition. I have to; I can't completely blow the day away," I said to myself.
How do you think I ended up spending my Friday afternoon? With chicken wings and pasta from a local deli, along with an entire pint of chocolate chip cookie dough gelato, curled up on the couch in my pajamas.
Yes, this is an odd occurance for myself, but I challenged myself to step out of my comfort zone and take the day off from the gym AND eat whatever the heck I desired. Why SHOULD I force myself to eat veggies and chicken breast? Because it's healthy, nutritious food? Correct, and I love those foods, but it was not what my body craved at that point in time. Why SHOULD I go to the gym? Because everyone else is working out right now, it's good for your heart health, and will make your body stronger? Absolutely. But my body was exhausted, it needed a break for one day, and I WANTED to stay home.
What if you have tendonitis in your knees (hi, that's me!), and you have this notion in your head that you SHOULD walk for 60 minutes in order to be healthy (to lose weight, to gain more friends, to feel like you deserve love, to feel like you have a purpose, the list goes on), BUT you know that your tendonitis will flare up and could leave you on the mend for days to heal? SHOULD you really go walk for 60 minutes? Or do you need to listen to your body's signs and signals, as it is the only one you will ever get?
My point is, ditch the "I should", and instead focus on what your body NEEDS. Listen to your body all hours of the day, every day of the week. You will find yourself better taken care of, less stressed, and free of society's pressures to be the mythological, perfect being that everyone and their neighbor is striving to be.
