A side of guilt!

This is one emotion I struggle to control.  I feel guilt for everything.

Guilt for say no to playing a board game with my daughter because I have 10 other things to do, guilt for eating the cake, guilt for taking a day off work sick, guilt for not getting up on time to do my yoga, guilt for not writing my blog as often, guilt for skipping the gym, guilt for thinking of drinking alcohol again. 

The last one is consuming me at the moment.  Then I think why, why am I striving for perfection all the time?  Why is it bothering me so much, I’ve not failed, I’ve done the 90 days and then some.  Why?!!!

I googled it.

We experience 5 hours a week of guilty feelings – WOW that’s a big chunk of time.
Guilt makes us reluctant to enjoy life – this makes me sad
Guilt trips make you feel guilty but also resentful – I can understand this

If you googled the meaning of guilt and this is what it said.

Guilt is a feeling people typically have after doing something wrong, intentionally or accidentally. A person’s sense of guilt usually relates to their moral code. Guilt isn’t necessarily bad. Sometimes it’s even productive.

Ok so how can I make my guilty feelings productive?  I google also.

Move beyond comparing and competing – I have said before and do try to remember that comparison is the thief of joy it’s very difficult not to compare.  Example – when you see someone making not drinking alcohol look so easy, it’s hard not to wonder why you are struggling. 

Own your choices – yes!  I mean what’s the worst that can happen.  So I took a day off work, my daughter was sick, I chose to take the day off so I could be with her, I shouldn’t feel guilty for that.

Think about what you would say if a friend told you they feel guilty for the same reason – this one is the best.  So true, for every reason above I would say don’t be silly, give yourself a break, don’t be so hard on yourself.  No-one expects you to be perfect.

Practice mindfulness – this one keeps popping up.  I put it off all the time. Then I feel guilty about it LOL!

There are more but these are my favorites and the ones I will really think about specifically with the drinking guilt.   Not comparing with everyone, everyone’s journey is different.  If I do drink again, I will own that decision and if it doesn’t work I will go back to not drinking.  It’s not the end of the world!