Dress Challenge Day 2: How I Mess Up Everyday

 

Dress Challenge Day 2: How I Mess Up Everyday

Things that I thought about today:

• I don't do enough. I should try harder.
• I'm so sleepy. I didn't get enough sleep. I should try harder at getting sleep.
• Oh wait, right after I have this cup of coffee so I can work harder at trying to work even harder. 
• Maybe I'll take a nap.
• I want to eat every chocolate chip cookie in the world.
• Maybe I'll hibernate.
• I want to be able to sleep and eat chocolate chip cookies at the same time.
• I wish I was a bear, so I could hibernate.

I suffer from "Do More" Syndrome. It's a pretty dangerous disease, although my doctor isn't treating me for it. Mainly because I made it up. But, hey, I think it exists.

So, what is it? Let me lay it down for you, babes. In the morning, we get up and we are immediately assaulted by the idea that we are already failing at life. I should've gotten up earlier, this skirt makes my butt look big, I shouldn't have eaten that pizza last night.

 For me, just like many other girls, my thoughts are often focused on my appearance. Today was the second day of the Dress Challenge and I slipped on a plain black sundress littered with some deodorant marks with all the glamour of a bear (so, yes, I probably could be good at hibernating.) My legs thanked me again for wearing a dress, so it was totally worth it. I sunned them while I answered messages and e-mails from you awesome Girl Warriors. The amount of positive feedback I get in a day always astounds me!

Am I trying to distract you with positive compliments so we don't have to talk about my sickness? Probably. Yes. Maybe. Ok, yes.

I know I'm not alone in the "Do More" Syndrome. I see it everyday in the faces of other girls. We don't like to talk about, but that's probably because we're all pretending we don't have it. Well, babes, I have it. I have it BAD. I make mistakes everyday.

Seriously, here is a typical scene: I'm yawning and hunched over a keyboard, thinking about what I did and didn't do, how I should be doing more than I am right now, planning a trip to get coffee so I can do more work...This is a recipe for disaster. Constant destructive talk motivates the human soul to retreat further into negativity. It results in sadness, anxiety, procrastination, you name it.

And it's even more devastating when the focus is the human body. I want you to think about everything that you tell yourself from morning to night in a day. Are you constantly telling yourself that you could be skinnier/prettier/curvier/better? You may have the syndrome. Or you may just be having a bad day. Either are absolutely OK, because you are a Girl Warrior and we can do this.

We have to combat negative thoughts with positive resilience. It's absolutely okay to make mistakes. It's what make us beautiful. We aren't going to wake up tomorrow, magically loving our bodies and prancing in the streets with confidence that blinds people. Life is an everyday process, just like "mess ups" are. I love that I mess up, because it reminds me that I'm a human being with a lot to learn, just like you.

So, what can you do when it comes to body image and the "Do More" Syndrome? Think about all the negative things you say to your body. Now, I want you to imagine that your body is a separate person, perhaps a romantic partner or a dear friend. Think about telling them all those things. "I would never!" you might be screaming. Yes, you would never. If you think someone you love doesn't deserve to hear those things, what makes you think that you do?

Stop and evaluate what you are doing throughout your day. Are you speaking kindly or negatively towards yourself? Self-love is the foundation of body acceptance.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed by pressure or like your body just isn't enough, repeat this mantra to yourself: I am enough. This is the prescription for the "Do More" Syndrome. Stop, reevaluate your situation, and send love inward.

You are enough. You do enough. You are a Girl Warrior.

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO
Girl Warrior