Last month we discussed the book, Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. He explains that people of modest IQs can outperform and achieve better health than those with high IQs if they are more self aware, have more self discipline and more empathy. This month we’ll look at the importance of self discipline and how this applies to autoimmune health and specifically to alopecia.
Self discipline tends to be something we Westerners don’t really like to do on a regular basis, since it implies that we might have to give something up. Self discipline is a skill that if taught at a young enough age, will assist us to become better students, workers and achieve the level of health that we want.
If you start at a young age to accept that healthy eating patterns and exercise are just a part of life, you will have fewer struggles with health problems associated with diet and nutrition. If you learn that strong relationships with other people is necessary to your development and that taking time out to rest and restore yourself is essential, then you are more likely to surround yourself with supportive people and to manage your stress levels better as you get older.
The problem is that most of us have not been taught this at a young age. Not through any fault of our parents or teachers, but because only recently we have come to recognize that these components are essential pieces of the health pie. So the situation most of us are in now where our health is compromised is – What do I have to change to get well again? Thoughts of giving up steak and red wine start to come to mind. And it is with a sense of dread that we haul out and dust off the running shoes we bought in 1997 for the marathon we intended to run that we never trained for.
My macrobiotic teacher once asked a room full of us students, some with cancer and me with alopecia, “How attached are you to your disease that you can’t or won’t make these changes to your life?” That was an eye-opening moment for me. I could carry on doing what I was doing or start the self discipline that was necessary to get my hair back.
Learning the Art of Self Discipline:
- Control your emotions – be aware of them, but don’t let them be what guides you
- Motivate yourself – Make the goal of having your hair back fuel you to make your efforts worth achieving. Put pictures on the walls, say the affirmations, meditate on it.
- Persist – You may not always stay on track, but you have the ability to get back on track if you slip (and you will ;=).
- Focus on the goal – Remain focused on your intention to heal your hair.
How To Begin Self Discipline
1. Personal Inventory – Find a quiet and private place to sit down with a paper and pen. Begin taking a day by day inventory of your bad habits and destructive behaviour patterns.
2. Start Small – Begin reducing each habit, behaviour or craving a little each day. Keep a journal of your progress and talk to yourself about the benefits of eliminating destructive behaviors.
3. Self-Denial – Start by denying yourself a certain pleasure each day. Target a daily activity like excessive eating or smoking.
4. Keep a Schedule – Make a to-do list and stick to it for a change. Make a commitment to write a daily schedule and accomplish every task. Remember to keep them realistic and achievable or of course you won’t succeed!
5. Review – At the end of each day, sit down and critique your performance. Mentally re-live how you exercised self-control over your cravings and habits. Congratulate your self on your achievements and make notes where you would like to improve.
There appears to be a link to diet, digestive disorders and allergies and alopecia so your new discipline may be trying to move toward a more alkaline diet or controlling your thoughts so they are more positive. It could also be disciplining yourself to say ‘no’ so that you aren’t overloading yourself with committments that cause stress in your life. Whichever area you choose, make a committment to see it through and share your experiences with us here. Good luck to you!
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