What are your triggers? I know this may sound like a loaded question, but this is something I have been thinking a lot about lately. A trigger is something that causes something else to happen. We all have triggers… things that evoke emotion and cause a result that we may not always be proud of.
Today I am going to talk about emotional triggers when it comes to health and fitness. The past few months (okay perhaps years), I have become increasingly aware of my triggers that cause me that mental explosion when it comes to my health and fitness goals.
I lose control of my circumstances: kids, family, finances, life = reach and binge on chocolate chip cookies.
Stepping on the scale and seeing a number that is larger than the last time I visited the scale = feeling at a loss.
I become obsessed with my running pace/time = mentally breaking down and giving up on challenging myself.
When I compare my running times with others who run = feelings of less than overcome me.
Heart rate training with running = feeling like my heart is failing me = giving up and slowing down.
Now those are just five of my main emotional triggers when it comes to my personal health and fitness journey. I am learning on how to find a healthy balance on ways to manage those triggers… because they will happen. Often.
Everything you do is triggered by an emotion of either desire or fear. – Brian Tracy
Learning to not reach for those cookies, but to breathe deep and readjust my reaction. Perhaps spending time in thoughtful reflection or prayer. Or just reach for one cookie (not the whole batch).
Counting calories and stepping on the scale in attempt to find self-worth. Use those items as a guideline to help you reach your goals. Do not obsess over them in an unhealthy manner. You are worth more than the number on the scale (or the low caloric intake for the day).
Learning to not feel like a failure with my running goals. Remembering how far you have come on your running journey and being thankful for all that your body is able to accomplish.
Learning to use the tools and technology as a resource, but not depend on them for sole identity affirmation. The scale is just one tool to measure your health. Your GPS watch/heart rate watch are great tools to help and guide you to grow and challenge your fitness goals… but some training days they are not necessary.
This mind shift has been key for me in my running and fitness training the past week (or so). I am pushing aside those triggers, and changing my focus.
For me with my running, in my current training phase, I am focusing on running by feel. I am running with my GPS and heart rate watch, but I am not using them as a guide during my run. When my run is complete, I will go over my splits, heart rate zones, and more to evaluate how my body reacted during the run. All the while keeping in mind how I felt during the run.
I have found that this method has brought back the love of running. I no longer run by pressure to run a specific pace or in a specific zone. I know going into my run that I need to run a set distance and at a desired level of intensity. After my run is complete, I evaluate to see how well I listened to my body… and this is helping me with my emotional triggers regarding my fitness goals.
Your brain is a powerful thing and can make or break the way your feel about yourself and your accomplishments. Choose joy. Choose to not compare yourself to others. You are awesome. Recognizing those emotional triggers that drive you to those ugly thoughts of feeling less than, and changing your mindset it key!
Breathe. Pray. Refocus. Give thanks. Change your surroundings.
When we recognize our emotional triggers, we are better able to help ourselves without hurting ourselves (or others). This is an area where I am working on with my health and fitness journey… working on my triggers and reacting to them in a positive, uplifting, affirming way.
Lean Lena says
I can totally relate to pretty much all of the above triggers. Especially the cookies! 🙂
I stopped counting calories – that was a major accomplishment for me. I think it creates a very unhealthy relationship with food.
My trigger is a rest day. First it makes me feel guilty for not exercising and doing nothing, than I just can’t get enough of those rest days and keep resting, then I start feeling guilty of resting THAT much – it’s gets me on to an emotional roller-coaster if I don’t control myself…
Great post, Rachel. Definitely sharing.
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says
I’ve spent most of my adult life working on this. The scale was a huge trigger for me and I stopped weighing myself about a year ago and I am so much happier. Just not having that number in my head everyday is huge. And nothing bad happened. I am still doing the same things and eating the same and wearing the same clothes.
Penelope says
I have a LOT of emotional triggers, I unfortunately eat often when I’m not hungry at all 🙁
Rebecca Jo says
I’m really trying to notice my triggers because I have so many. I turn to food & let depression take me over so easily when I’m upset…
Love this post.
Heather @ Divas Run for Bling says
This is something I constantly work with. I have a tendency to lean towards the OCD side of things so I tend to focus on one thing (like counting calories) and go planning crazy about it. I have learned what some of the triggers are over the years and try to avoid them when possible. Thanks for this post!
Janice- The Fitness Cheerleader says
Hugs! The scale was my biggest trigger until I started tracking body fat percentage on it. Having a plan for my workouts, and my meals also really helped to eliminate the emotional overeating triggers. The key to overcoming these was figuring out why those things were triggers. Why was the scale determining my worth? Why was I stress eating? I bet with a lot of soul searching you’ll find your way. Good luck!
Raijean says
This is so important, people must know and understand their body. I’m working on understanding mines better.
Diatta @ Femme Fitale Fit Club says
My big trigger is STRESS hands down. Work stresses me out with 7:30 am meetings, constant requests from the CEO and CIO and dealing with our vendors along with procurement. I wish I would focus on fitness and helping others meet their goals as my full time because it brings me joy. I have also learned to keep the bad stuff out of my home – but wine is still here. LOL. I’m working on it.
Toni @runninglovingliving says
I can totally relate to many of these especially the running at a certain pace. I have really tried to take a step back and not focus on the times and it has taken the stress out of running. My slowest half at runners world last year was actually my most enjoyable, it is not always about the speed, or so I can keep telling myself…
Anne - Mommy Has to Work says
I find I eat when i’m bored. Not even hungry.
Amanda@Runninghood says
Great words/thoughts. I definitely have emotional triggers. One of my biggest ones is when things are in disorder around the house…like laundry, kids rooms a mess, a to-do list that isn’t getting done and just piling up… This causes everything else to feel out of control. I just wrote this morning about the tools in our tool belts and how we can work with our kids in using our life tools to fix things so we can make our lives what we want. Similar thinking.
Tammy Litke (@threedifferent) says
I think mine is definitely the number on the scale. I know it fluctuates for a lot of reasons but when I see it go up then I get depressed and find it difficult to push on.
Liz Mays says
Stress just makes me want to go to sleep, and that keeps me from being active. I love naps anyhow, but stress just knocks me out.
Donna says
Stress is my biggest trigger. Followed closely by boredom. When I’m stressed or bored I will eat when I’m not even in the least bit hungry. 🙁
C says
If I know my day isn’t going to consist of “perfect” eating, I don’t even try. I just say, “Oh well. Today’s a lost cause.” A little imperfection wouldn’t hurt the scale as much as a whole day of it.
CH says
so can relate to this! thanks for sharing!
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says
So many emotional triggers! It’s a constant battle/work in progress for me. Mine are definitely stress, not sleeping enough and just feeling overwhelmed by life/housework/kids/work…so pretty much everything?
Maureen says
I have struggled with emotional eating for years. The older I get, the better I am at not running for the food. But it’s still a struggle.
Jenn says
There are good and bad triggers and it’s important to know what they are and how to react to them.
Marcie W. says
Certain foods are definitely triggers for me. I just feel that life is too short to pass up the opportunity to enjoy something I love, much of which is food. I also struggle with emotional feelings of guilt, never enough time in the day to get everything accomplished so something has to give. That something is usually my workouts.