LIFESTYLE AUTHOR
Candice Seti, PsyD.
HOW TO STOP SABOTAGING YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS n Sometimes, the thing standing in the way between us and success is ourselves.
Y
es, it’s true — sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We may have plans, goals and dreams that we actively stop ourselves from achieving. And this can be especially true when it comes to our health and fitness goals! So, what’s the deal? Why do we engage in this form of self-sabotage, and what can we do about it?
First off, what exactly is self-sabotage?
Well, it is exactly what it sounds like. It’s behaviors or actions that get in the way of your intent of goals. Simply put, it’s self-defeating behavior. Have you ever thought about a big deadline you have looming and then thought, “Let me just watch one more Netflix show first?” or decided you were going to go on a diet and then decided to have a binge fest? These are active forms of self-sabotage.
feel undeserving of success or happiness. Desire for control is another common cause, as it is easier to feel in control of your own failure than being surprised and unprepared for it. Imposter Syndrome can also often drive self-sabotaging behaviors. In this situation, the individual feels like a fraud and is plagued by selfdoubt. Calling attention to their successes increases the chance of getting called out as a fake, so they actively try NOT to have successes. In addition, as human beings, we actively choose comfort over a lot of things — sometimes even happiness. And even if we want to achieve something, it may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, so they take away a lot of the appeal.
Why would we stop ourselves from achieving our goals?
Self-sabotage sounds like a silly concept, right? I mean, if we want something, why wouldn’t we be driven to make it happen? Well, there are a lot of reasons why someone might self-sabotage. Low selfworth can be a common driver, as the individual might
JULY 2021
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