Healthy Chicks

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I have a confession. I judge myself sometimes, and can actually be pretty darn hard on myself. Well, not nearly as much as I used to. You see, back in college I would judge everything about myself in a negative way. Either my thighs were too big or I was “fat” or I wasn’t “good enough” or I wasn’t “pretty enough” for That Guy (who looking back I realize he probably wasn’t good enough for me). You get the picture.

But now my judgements aren’t necessarily hateful or even negative, but they are there (sometimes). Not all the time. For instance, today I went to take a Vinyasa Yoga class, and realized upon signing in that I was one of the only non-yogis signed up for the class. Correction, there were already two teachers signed up for the class, and then there was me.

Granted I wore my Lululemon Power Tank and Wonder Unders hoping that’d build my confidence up a little. But still, I had that doubt in mind mind, “Will they judge me?” Then a good friend said something that really stood out to me: “There are no judgements in yoga, Rach.” That’s when I realized I really wasn’t afraid if I would be judged, but in fact I was judging myself.

But why? I had to ask myself, WHY?! Will anyone realllllllyyyy care if I’m a little wobbly during balancing poses, or my pigeon looks more like an awkward bird? Does it really matter if you’re decked out in your $250 Lulu wear or simply wearing a $5 tee you got at Marshall’s on sale?

The question we really have to ask ourselves from within is, “Why are we judging ourselves?” “Where are these emotions coming from?”

After you ask yourself that and begin to find some clarity, we realize that most of the time we are our number one critics. If you’re paranoid something is wrong in your relationship, then you may ask yourself “Well, how am I feeling about things? Is it really my fault? Should I even be concerned?” If you’re worried your boss isn’t going to approve the marketing report you just worked your ass off on, you need to remind yourself how frickin amazing you are at your position. Or, um, why would you still be with the company?

Next time you find yourself comparing biceps/cellulite/income/relationships with your work pals, or fearing you’ll be totally judged for that huge zit that’s like RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FOREHEAD, take a deep breath and bring the emotions back to y.o.u. Observe where these thoughts are coming from, and what you can do to calm them down.

So, are we really worried we’ll be judged by others or is the #1 issue the fact that most of the time we’re our #1 judge? Maybe we can be a little softer on ourselves after all…

P.S. If you haven’t done so yet, please feel free to take a look at my new website for my health counseling business, Zesty Living. I’m super excited about it and can’t wait to share more info about this exciting endeavor! Questions? Just shoot me an email at rachel@myzestyliving.com