Sugar Fast Day 24

We’re over 3 weeks into this sugar fast and as mindful as I have been, there are so many times when I almost threw a half-eaten cookie left on the counter in my mouth or devoured a gummy unicorn my daughter got almost a month ago for her birthday. And not really because I wanted them, just simply out of a mindless habit that I’ve acquired.

We are creatures of habit. We have the habit of developing habits and then a habit of not wanting to break ourselves of those habits. Hah! Not all habits are bad ones obviously, but just like I tell my little ones, it’s so much easier to get trapped in a bad habit than a good one. So be cautious of what you habitually take on as your normal way of doing things. Be careful of what you allow to be a habit in your life, specifically to eating habits during this fast, but allow your awareness to pour over into all areas of your life as well. This fast will shed light on the behaviors that we’re so used to being stuck in. It’ll wake you up to those seemingly little and unimportant things you do daily, that when added up really do make a difference.

In psychology, there is a term referred to as the transfer effect. As it relates to the field of wellness, it simply means that one positive behavioral change encourages another. For instance, making the conscious effort to eliminate sugar for 40 days, can encourage one to start incorporating daily exercise into their routine. One habitual change can propel another and then another, and end up changing your life.

Today, take a step back and once again remind yourself to be mindful. Get out of your own way by avoiding just muscle memory-ing your way around this life. You’re doing an incredible job!

-Tara xo