Letting Go of Negative Thoughts and Feelings

image: someecards

By Crabby McSlacker

So does that cartoon seem sexist?  Yeah, well, it's an overgeneralization, but I gotta say I think we women tend to a bit more prone to hanging on to emotionally upsetting stuff than guys are, and mulling it over in our heads and perhaps making it bigger and uglier and more devastating than it needs to be.

As you may have guessed, this is a continuation of the “Catch and Release” post, in which I was talking about the benefits of tuning in more to your inner psychological world, “catching” and “releasing” dumb and counterproductive thoughts and emotions that can drag you down.

And actually, "releasing" or "letting go" is just one way of looking at it. You could use more active, confrontive terminology and be all kick-ass, and talk about fighting negative thoughts and feelings, or heck obliterating or pulverizing or exterminating them.

It's just that I started with the whole "catch and release" theme, and put up a bunch of fishing pictures... and beating the crap out of some poor fish you just caught seems kinda mean, doesn't it?

Another problem? I realized there are so many ways of working with negative thoughts and emotions, and I have so freakin’ many opinions and weird ideas, that I’m just going to start with one basic aspect of it and follow up with more later.

Because while it sucks to feel bad about stuff, there really are tons of helpful tools out there than can help.

Coming Attractions

This is just a quick  post,  because:

1. I don’t have internet other than my phone, because ours is broken and Comcast sucks. And I cannot simply blog on my phone until the repair dude comes, because I am old. This means I had to compose this offline and then run to the public library to find links and photos and put the post up. Which is not only a pain in the ass but could land me in jail because I didn't have time to only use kosher properly licensed photos or give proper credit. Plus:
2. I am way lazy.  We’ve already established that.

Basically, this is just to say there’s some Summer Stuff on the horizon  which I’m really looking forward to!  And it may impact the whens, whethers, what’s and whatevers of blogging.

So what’s on tap?

What Exercise Doesn't Suck as Much as You Think it Will?

By Crabby McSlacker

It may not come as a great shock to those of you who are regular readers, but...

I don't always enjoy my workouts. And I almost never look forward to them.

Yep, some days it's all about sighing and moaning and procrastinating and finally guilting or bribing myself into crossing exercise off the "to-do" list. Especially if strength training or high intensity intervals are involved.

But the totally moronic thing is: I often find myself feeling reluctant and whiny and foot-draggy about fitness activities that I almost always enjoy once I get off my ass and do them.

How screwed up is that?  Why can I not learn, after many repeated instances of non-suckitude, that just physical exertion is not always an odious chore?

Do any of you guys struggle with this?

Catch and Release

image: Don Harrison, Up North Memories 

By Crabby McSlacker

So if any of you are fishing fans hoping this might be a post about actual fishing? Sorry! Just another strained metaphor for how to optimize your brain and be happier and that kinda stuff.

Also, the post started to run long, so it's really more like "Catch and R... oh crap, I'm tired, let's finish this puppy up later." So it's just Part One, the "Catch" part.

And yeah, no actual fishing tips.  I'm not an angler.  But as a life and wellness coach, a former psychotherapist, and a lifelong crankpot neurotic whiner who has finally rewired her own brain for the better, I keep marveling at how much more important how we think and feel about the world is than mere flimsy "reality."

Like most of my advicey posts, I'm repeating stuff that has been said a million times before, much better than I can say it, though usually it doesn't come with swear words.  Cranky Fitness readers are already way well-informed, so none of this will be a big News Flash.

Yet we need reminders and motivational encouragement, right? So here's some more cheerleading:

Control your own thoughts and feelings and Rule the World!

But... how the hell do you do that?

Jack Rocks the Boat One Last Time

image: wikipedia

Yes, this is our last "Man Overboard" post by guest blogger Jack Sh*t, but fear not!  You can Jacked Up to your heart's content by visiting his excellent blog Jack Sh*t Getting Fit. Thank you so much Jack for taking us along with you on your journey these past months, and we wish you smooth sailing and sunny skies on your lifelong voyage! (Though life being what it is, don't forget to pack plenty of pepto bismol and dramamine)---Crabby

This is the final installment of my Man Overboard series. If you’d like to see the other posts in this series, just click on this link (Ha! Did you really think I was going to go dig up those posts and create a super-convenient way for you to access them? Well then, you don’t know me very well!).

If you’re coming late to the party, allow me to catch you up: My name’s Jack and I run a weight-loss and tire repair blog called Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit. Last year, I decided to start a second weight-loss blog because… well, who knows why I do the things I do?

Long story short (I know – too late, too late), I lost my password and had to spike the project. To repay an old family debt (her uncle leapt on a live grenade saving my grandfather’s life during WWI), I granted the Crankster the opportunity to publish these posts and… okay, okay… I can see that I’m losing you. Without further ado…