It may come as no surprise that leading a healthy lifestyle has physical benefits, but it bears repeating.  It’s easy to overlook the impact of some of our most basic lifestyle choices on both our mental and physical health.  But those everyday habits that you form around how you eat and sleep, whether you exercise and how you manage stress have mental and physical consequences.

Sometimes you’re headed towards a crisis and you know it somewhere deep down, but you’re distracted or even consciously avoid the cues, and keep heading down that path.

But, ignoring your own internal warning system can leave you reeling from one crisis to the next.

Many people develop beliefs that lead to avoiding conflict in the short term, but create long term resentments and loss of self-respect.  Beliefs that interfere with self respect include:

• “saying no is selfish”
• “Making requests of others is self-centered”
• “It’s wrong (selfish, bad) if someone gets upset with me” and
• “I should sacrifice my needs to others”
• I can’ do it.  I’m stupid.  I’ll mess it up.

Everyone worries about standing up for themselves to some degree.  But, if you’re stuck in thoughts that you don’t deserve it or are fearful of the consequences of asserting yourself, it may be helpful to counteract some of your beliefs and worries.

Some thoughts that might give a person the courage to act on their own behalf include: