"I Should..."

First thing when you wake up in the morning, you may have various thought bubbles pop up above your head before you even get the chance to brush your teeth. What do they say? Comments that each include the word “should.” An example could be, “I should have woken up earlier today.” This is a tough way to start the day, considering you can’t go back and fix it. Or have you ever had the bubble, “I should be more positive today”? This bubble is implying that you’re already spreading your negative energy around to everyone. Getting healthy and taking care of yourself can become very annoying and difficult when riddled with these thoughts.

While the “should” thoughts may seem like they know more than you and are trying to help, a lot of times they hinder you by slowing you down and making you feel bad. There is no telling where the comment even came from. It might have floated in from a fitness magazine, your mom, or an episode of Oprah. Also, the same ones seem to pop up day after day, making you wonder why your brain hasn’t absorbed them yet so they’ll leave you alone. The truth is, maybe the “shoulds” don’t measure up compared to what you could or would do if you ignored them once in a while.

Considering that the body already takes care of itself very well on a day to day basis, consistent regret about what you are doing wrong can deter you from what you are doing right. With phrases like “I should eat more leafy greens” and “I should work out my biceps more” and hundreds of other thoughts, eventually the main point of healthiness can get lost among all the details. Health can be attained step by step, no matter how small the step, rather than a long list of health regrets.

So, should one stop using the world should? Well, that would be difficult since it’s a pretty popular word in the English language. Just remember, when you’re having a day where you’re not feeling your best or you feel stressed out by life, instead of telling yourself “I should just snap out of it” or “I should take my vitamins,” try limiting these thoughts so you can be gentle on yourself and allow space for healthiness to return naturally.