Do you believe you can cultivate your perception? That you can change how you feel about things, people, and even yourself by simply shifting your mindset?

Why are bad habits like overeating, procrastinating, or smoking difficult to overcome? If our mindsets reflect our choices, why can’t people simply choose to be healthy?

A lot of us suffer from unhealthy habits. While most of these are learned and brought about by our lack of self-discipline, some are caused by negative mindset patterns, which prevent us from doing what’s best for our health.

In this post, I will share five common mindsets that sabotage our bodies – and what we can do instead to nix these behaviors.

Negative Mindset Patterns To Give Up To Be Healthy

1. “I Don’t Have Time.”

I know so many people who want to exercise but keep on saying that they don’t have time. But NOT having time is virtually impossible.

Time is relentless. You never run out of time because you always have a choice.

You have a choice to wake up 30 minutes to an hour earlier every morning. You have a choice to prepare a simple but healthy salad instead of going to the nearest drive-thru to order a burger. You have a choice to choose your health over work.

How you choose to spend your time defines your priorities in life. Time is one of the most valuable resources you have. Whatever you choose to spend the hours you have today will have a direct effect on your future.

2. “I’m Too Young To Get Sick.”

When you’re young, it’s easy to feel like you have all the time in the world. That you’re never going to get sick. You might think it’s okay to have as much sugar, fatty foods, or alcohol as you want.

However, just because you don’t feel the consequences now doesn’t mean it won’t affect you later on. Youth is a time to have fun – but it shouldn’t be an excuse to take your health for granted. Even when you’re hardly getting sick today, it doesn’t mean you will be invincible forever.

Being conscious about your health is best started at a young age. NOT when you’re in your 50s and suffering from tons of diseases.

With the ever-increasing cost of health care, now is a good time to invest in your health and ditch this negative mindset.

3. “The Damage is Done, Why Bother?”

Just because you missed ONE workout session or exceeded your calorie intake for two days doesn’t mean you should give up and throw all your efforts away.

Most of us are trapped in this negative mindset that if “the damage is done, why bother? Why not indulge further?”

A healthy lifestyle isn’t always a perfect one. We are all just a bundle of emotions. It’s okay if you miss one day. Just continue where you left off but don’t quit.

Even the most organized person had trouble keeping up with routines at first. Sticking to a healthy routine starts with small steps, little changes that, when accomplished each day, become habits that last a lifetime.

4. “I Deserve This or That.”

You’ve just spent 30 minutes jogging. So you think you deserve to watch 10 hours of TV, binge-eat ice cream, or spend all your money on a perfect pair of Chelsea boots?

Although there’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself, you should learn to exercise self-control. This helps you stay on point with your goals.

If you want to lose or maintain weight, limit your calories and stop eating extra food. If you want to get something done, make it a daily priority. If you want to save money, make spending restrictions so you don’t go broke by the end of the month.

The key to changing this negative mindset is moderation. Anything that’s too much is bad for you.

5. “I’ll Start Eating Better On…”

“I’ll start eating better on Monday,” “Next month,” or “After I finish eating this cake.”

Sounds familiar? These are just some of the most persuasive excuses we tell ourselves. People actually do this because they don’t have a clear sight of their goals. They don’t set themselves for success.

To change your lifestyle, you need to change not only yourself but also your environment. For example: if you want to eat healthily, stop buying junk food. Rid your fridge of things that tempt you to cheat, like chips, cookies, and ice cream.

If you are slipping into your old habits, pause for a moment, and change your negative mindset. Don’t indulge further. Don’t undo what you’ve done – and don’t start on Monday. Start TODAY.

Conclusion

You own your thoughts. Therefore, you hold the power to change them. By understanding why you have a negative mindset, you can “re-program” them to help you stick to your health goals. You can choose to be healthy. You can choose to be fit.

NO trainer, NO diet, or any other form of motivation can help you as much as yourself. When you realize that you’re in control, amazing things will happen.