Step away from the frosting

I’m giving myself low grades in the self-discipline department lately.

Last week, I turned down what I thought was an offer for ice cream cake. (Turns out it was an offer for a dog! Don’t ask.) I responded to the offer by saying, “Please, not right now. I don’t have the self-discipline to not sit and eat half of it at one time.”

And then I started to think about what I had carelessly written in that text. Are there times in life when we have better self-discipline than others? And why, at this particular moment in my life, do I have less discipline than I typically do?

Usually I am one of the most disciplined people I know. If I decide to do something, then I do it, without much of a struggle. But this isn’t the case right now. I can’t seem to turn down an invitation to go for frozen yogurt. I eyeball the frozen treats section of the grocery store. I eat half a store-bought cookie when normally I would turn it down without a second thought.

Of course, half the problem is that sugar operates like crack in my body. It is one of the most addictive substances I could ingest. It’s always been like that. Eat a teeny bit, crave a whole lot more. Vicious sugary cycle.

But what’s up with the other half? Why am I low in self-discipline at this particular point? I wonder if I’m treating the frustrations in my life with sweet treats that make me feel a little happier for at least a few minutes. Is it something to look forward to at night? Or something to  get me through the day? I suppose a Tootsie Roll, cocoa-covered almond or hard candy, a few of my “drugs” of choice, are better than knocking a few drinks back at lunch.

Perhaps I just need to cut myself some slack right now, and know that this, too, shall pass. Everything does. The only constant is change, so I must keep the faith that it will come, whether in colossal chunks or bite-size bits at at time.

I brought this notion of self-discipline, and its unpredictable fluidity, as a the to my yoga classes last week. I suggested we work on using yoga practice as a way to help build self-discipline, by holding a posture a few breaths longer than normal or by focusing on maintaining the breath through class when we might decide to forget about it. By doing it on the mat, maybe we can do it off the mat, and just say no to what doesn’t increase our wellbeing.

If nothing else, perhaps the slight tightness in my clothing will prompt me to step far, far away from the bakery.

 

Jennifer Mulson is the managing editor of Marmapoints. She also teaches yoga at CorePower Yoga in Colorado Springs.