Do you exercise a lot–just so you can wreck your body with more hot fudge sundaes? Is your newly found obsession with reading relationship advice columns actually taking time away from your significant other? Just as how all of us have one or two particular sins we are most vulnerable to, all of us are very capable of committing at least one of the seven deadly wellness / self-improvement sins in our own personal paths to better mind, body and spirit.
‘Fess up. Which of these 7 deadly wellness sins do you need to work on the most?
(Disclaimer: not to be taken 100% seriously.)
1. LUST. You are getting spiritual and not-so-spiritual crushes on your wellness mentor of the moment–be it your trainer at the gym or your young, hot and wise-beyond-his-years yoga teacher. Your personal motivation for improvement is being increasingly replaced by an obsession with impressing the object of your affections and spending more time with him / her.
Your antidote: Crushes are fine to have, but they should never replace the ultimate love of your life: you! Take some time out from the source of your distraction to get in touch again with your own inner love. Ask yourself: How can I give myself more of what I want from another person? And follow it.
2. GLUTTONY. All your friends are impressed that you have decided to take a plunge to permanently cut out meat and dairy out of your diet. What they don’t know is that you have really been eating Pop Tarts, bean burritos and instant mashed potatos every day. Yes, vegetarians can die from clogged arteries, too.
Your antidote: Sometimes a drastic diet change is what makes people go haywire to an unhealthy extreme as a backlash. Are you raising the bar too high for improving your diet? Maybe it is time for you to make more moderate healthy diet goals you know you can actually keep.
3. GREED. You were really pleased with the $10 yoga mat you found for sale when you were just starting out. Now you want the thicker, non-slip yoga mat that is $25 and printed with a prettier design. Now you want the completely biodegradable $100 yoga mat that absorbs body sweat, permanently smells like lotus petals, and is personally infused with the spiritual energy of a famous yogic master.
Your antidote: There is nothing wrong with wanting new things, but it shouldn’t take over your life. Show your gratitude for your abundance by giving away or donating what you no longer need.
4. SLOTH. For your New Year’s resolution, you said you wanted to run a marathon, try a raw vegan diet and learn how to meditate. You haven’t started on any of these goals quite yet, but you’re not too worried. You figure the upcoming summer solstice will be a good time to rexamine those resolutions….
Your antidote: Enlist the help of your family and friends to help you start kicking your own butt. Reward yourself for every baby step you take. Goals are easier and more fun to do in the beginning when you got a buddy.
5. WRATH. Being more enlightened makes you even more pissed off at the people who aren’t. Like those @(#(*$*$* meat-eaters whose dietary habits are wreaking havoc on the planet. People who still make snide remarks about you being a tree-hugging hippie for riding a bike to work make you SO ANGRY. Or that old lady who flipped you off when you were trying to make a merge on the freeway...Someone clearly doesn’t know anything about being mindful, grumble grumble.
Your antidote: This is the time to remind yourself that feeling negative towards a person says more about YOU, not the other person. Dedicate an afternoon to an animosity-detox by spending time with someone who makes you feel good about yourself. Or watch YouTube videos of newborn puppies.
6. ENVY. You can barely manage skipping the red meat for Lent. On the other hand, your co-worker is a glowing, dewy-eyed creature who simply radiates with health from her five-year raw vegan diet. Every time you see her at work, your inner green-eyed beast starts waking up.
Your antidote: Hang out more with your more unhealthy and overweight friends so you feel better about the minor battles you’ve won. JUST KIDDING.
7. PRIDE. Reading all the self-help and spirituality books at your local bookstore has transformed you into a spiritual master. You are able to point out with greater accuracy the mental blocks that are preventing your friends and the people around you from achieving their true potential. You quietly pity–with great compassion–the poor misguided folk who have never heard of Eckhart Tolle and wouldn’t know present perfection if it hit them in the face. The individuals who repeatedly tell you to get over yourself are simply projecting their bloated pain-bodies onto you.
Your antidote: Stop being ashamed of your spiritual gifts; this is the time to publish a book to humbly share your newfound wisdom with the rest of humanity. And get over yourself.
Which wellness sin trips you up the most? What other wellness sins are you capable of committing? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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