Three Bites

I teach my clients about mental gymnastics; the short cuts and double loop-de-loops you do in order to overcome obstacles in your mind. For example, you know that chore or that work task you really don’t want to do? Here’s a trick. Tell yourself you will only work on this task for 5 minutes. Set a timer and sit down to do your task. Chances are, once you get started, you will end up working longer than 5 minutes. Turns out, this method works great for kids too.

I was reading something recently and the author was describing how the mind likes taking things in chunks. He described when he was a child his mother would make him a meal and he would say, “no, no, I can’t eat it all”. So his mother would say, “Ok, son, then I will take away half” and she would cut the meal in two. Most times, the author explained, he would end up eating the whole meal anyway. But this is a great portrayal of a mind hack that helps overcome barriers. If the son had persisted and said, “no no it is still too much”, then the mother would have halved the meal again, just to lessen the task on her son’s mind.

I help client achieve a healthier lifestyle whether it’s by drinking less, eating more nutritious foods, getting more exercise, or setting good boundaries. And one of my mental gynmastic techniques is the concept of “three bites”. You probably remember something like this when you were a kid and your parents wanted you to eat more of your meal. Eating three bites can help satisfy your cravings for sugar, processed foods, junk foods without going overboard. Enjoy your indulgences without the guilt. Works especially great around holidays based on overabundances of candy.

Happy Halloween!