The Drunken Monkeys

I struggle with the "drunken monkeys"

You know, those little internal voices of doubt, discouragement and self criticism that creep into your head every now and then and totally wreak havoc on your self confidence.

I know it's silly but I refer to these thoughts as "drunken monkeys" just to remind myself that they deserve about as much merit as if a literal intoxicated monkey is whispering them into your ear.

And the gym is one place where they seem to haunt me the most. Between the walls of mirrors and my love of people watching, I can't help but compare myself to the other women around me. And sometimes our gym feels like hot bod central! There are girls who are prettier, stronger, have better figures, and are confident enough to wear those cute little booty shorts I love but I'm pretty sure I would never be able to leave the house in.

Not only are these negative thoughts not constructive, they can also be devastating to your motivation, concentration, and confidence. And be a big distraction from achieving your goals. Besides the very girls I envy probably have their own set of insecurities - because lets face it we all do!

When this happens I have to remind myself that the biggest (and ONLY) competition I should have is ME.

So instead of being distracted by my flaws I resolve to focus on myself, performing my next exercise using good form, challenging myself with heavier weight, and outdoing the girl I was at the gym yesterday. I also work on using an internal voice that focuses on the things I should be proud of, expressing words of encouragement, optimism, and praise to myself for my achievements during that days work out.

With the start of a new year I have noticed a lot of new faces and "fitness flirts" at the gym and I know for many it is the beginning of new year's fitness resolutions. I hope this post helps those of you who may struggle with the "drunken monkeys" to banish them and their booze influenced banter, take pride in your accomplishments and stick with it!

My new favorite quote:
"if you are constantly looking for the negative side of things you will always find it" - Jaime Eason