Fasting Is Not Just For Food!

Fasting: To abstain from food; to eat sparingly or abstain from some foods; to abstain.

Chaos: A state of things in which chance is supreme; the inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a complex natural system; a state of utter confusion; a confused mass or mixture

Fasting Is Not Just For Food!

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by life and all that needs to get done?

Most people have experienced stress related to feeling inundated by information, responsibilities, or just life in general.

Well, help is at hand.

What is it?

The process of fasting.

We human beings can be creatures of habit and/or addiction. If they aren’t purged on a regular basis, habits and addictions can become burdens—not benefits—to our lives. You may be feeling overwhelmed because of the choices you have made—and society will continue to add to your obligations if you let it.

Input from so many sources and the tasks that go with being a parent, partner, employee, volunteer can swamp even the most organized individual. That’s where fasting comes into play.

Food fasting has been used for centuries to cleanse the system of toxins and give the body a break from the constant demands of having to process food.

Research has confirmed there are as many psychological benefits to fasting as there are physical benefits. Recently, during my own food fast, my research into the fasting process revealed evidence that fasting can restore control.

If you fast successfully, you prove to yourself you can implement self-control over food; it no longer has control over you. You make the choice to change.

I fasted from food for two reasons:

• On my way to my weight-loss goal, I had reached a plateau. I was stuck. I needed to get past that barrier.
• I was aware of my reduced ability to back away from food I really didn`t need but certainly enjoyed. Food fasting may not be for everyone but it taught me I can say No.

Food is not the only fixation that can be the focus of a fast.

One of our consultants was working with a university student who was failing her grades. After a review of her schedule and her life, there was no question she was overwhelmed. As a result, her studies were suffering. Her life was so noisy that she had no peace.

The consultant counseled her to fast from all unnecessary input, including some favorite activities. Here is her list of changes.

1. Stop watching all TV.
2. Stop all online surfing except for course papers and research purposes.
3. Fast from Facebook; block all incoming social media notifications.
4. Completely cease listening to her online music unless she was studying at the same time. Remove those earbuds!
5. Quit coffee; her caffeine intake was abusive.
6. Check email only three times a day.

In just 2 weeks, this young woman went from frazzled to calm and peaceful. It was challenging at first, but she was counteracting an addiction.

That’s our point. If you can’t stop checking your email every 3 seconds or Facebooking for hours a day, you are addicted. Those activities can contribute to stress-related illnesses and cause people to feel overloaded.

Whatever you can’t quit or reduce has control over you, not the other way around.

If you don’t think you can get rid of the actions that are controlling you, you likely are hooked. It’s time to fast. Fasting can be an easy and effective solution.

My kids keep pestering me to put email on my iPhone but I refused for several years until I know I could manage not checking it every 2 minutes.

What has control over you?

Read the Action Steps below and start your fast now!

Action Steps

Fasting Is Not Just For Food!

• Is your life reflective of a calm, in-control, and peaceful existence . . . or something else?
• What activities might have you hooked? TV, foods, social media (Facebook and others), music, gaming, texting, emailing . . . or something else?
• Many of you are in denial. To prove my point, I want you to fast from something you must do every day or every week that is not essential to your existence. I am not talking about things like exercise; I mean activities whose absence will create no harm, like no TV.
• Now take an Action Step and fast from something.
• If it`s food, please seek professional advice from someone familiar with this process.
• Pay attention to how this fasting makes you feel. Your emotions will reveal whether or not you were addicted.
• When I conduct the 3-Day CRG’s Professional Mastery & Assessment Certification Workshop training event, I fast from all email messages. To stay focused and be able to give 100% to the program, I don’t check emails during the entire 3 days. It was not easy at first, but now it’s great to be free of that distraction during the sessions.
• Help others fast from addictive behaviors.
• Learn to say No to obligations and requests before you become overwhelmed.
• Learn to relax and do deep breathing exercises to help with clarity and decrease stress.
• Clarify your values and style using the Values Preference Indicator and Personal Style Indicator to help you make values-based decisions while playing to your strengths.
• Delaying these Actions Steps won`t improve your situation. Acting now will.
  Just do it.

Until next time, keep Living On Purpose!.

Ken Keis