Making a change in your habits and routines can be tough. We all have set backs once in a while, but very often when the set backs occur the floodgates of negative thoughts rush in. Our confidence goes, and we begin to think we don’t have what it takes. One negative thought can ruin your whole attempt at changing a health habit. So it becomes a question of keeping these negative thoughts in check. Here is a simple strategy to keep those thoughts under control. It won’t keep you from having negative thoughts but it will keep one slip up and one negative thought from taking over and ruining your efforts.

First, whenever you have a slip-up, write down any negative thoughts you may have. So maybe something like” I have no self-control” or “I’m not disciplined enough to do this”. Once you’ve writte the thought down, repeat it out loud but imagine that it was someone else saying it to you. As crazy as this may sound, by picturing someone else saying the words, you're more likely to stick up for yourself. Final step is to defend yourself. Chances are this negative thought isn’t 100% accurate. Write down situations for proving this negative thought wrong. Think about times when you have shown self-control. Also, think about other explanations for why you slipped up this time.