The All Or Nothing Syndrome
For most people there is at least one area, if not more, which they approach as "all or nothing.
" This "all or nothing" is a non-compromising state of mind.
More often than not, it can "trip us up," even becoming destructive.
How does the "All or Nothing" syndrome manifest itself? In Nutrition: When we are trying to maintain a healthy nutritional regimen, or any other type of eating style for that matter, and we commit one small transgression, that's it! From that instant, "let's eat!".
If we broke the rules, they do not matter anymore.
No more rules.
I wasn't disciplined; I sinned, so I might as well go all the way.
Sometimes this collapse lasts for just that one day, and sometimes it takes us a week or two (or even more) until we return to our regimen anew.
Does this sound familiar? It's "all or nothing" syndrome! Inside our heads, we all possess a computer that knows how to calculate the amount of calories we consume.
However, it also has an "on-off" switch.
We decide when it starts working and when it stops.
When the computer is "on" we count and add calories (or other nutrition data) to the extent of our limits.
However, when the computer is on "off," anything goes! Celebration! There are no limits! Again: "all or nothing.
" Then it becomes like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand.
And against the ostrich, no brain has a chance! This calculator has a fault.
Due to his "all or nothing state of mind, it does not have the ability to calculate backwards.
In other words, it does not calculate the effect of what I did not eat (in terms of calories and health).
It does not record my small gestures to my body.
This is "all or nothing.
" What does this mean? Let's assume that every morning I have a cup of coffee with a croissant - 700 calories.
I now decide that once a week I skip this habit - I did not eat (I gave up) 700x4=2800 calories in one month.
In one year, I will have eaten 33,600 calories less (approximately 5 kgs)!!! Is there someone who counts what they did not eat? What we don't destroy also add up! One more example: I know that French fries is not healthy, so I decide to only not eat fries.
I continue to eat cakes, but I don't touch fries.
Most would say, "What is the sense in that?" Admit it, you've told someone in the past, "Why do you drink sweetener if you eat cake?" "Well, my body gained from the 'no chips'!" Admit it, you didn't calculate the effect of what you "did not eat.
" When you start thinking of it like this, then everything has meaning, and we stop behaving according to "all or nothing.
" The body knows what we eat.
The rule of accumulation works to the fullest! Everything counts.
In Sports: The same goes for exercise - all or nothing.
Once in a week doesn't count, even twice.
You need at least three times a week, and one hour each time.
And if not three times, and if not an hour each time - then we might as well not do it at all.
Does this sound familiar? And if I didn't exercise for a month, then again we turn the switch to "off" and exercising leaves our routine completely and the ostrich plants itself again, until something else causes us to return to "on" again.
And the same goes for Recycling: All or Nothing.
Either I am a freak of recycling, or I don't even think about it.
You can actually do this only slightly, in small portion: Only bottles, only batteries.
It adds up.
It is better than nothing.
Whatever you recycled - you didn't pollute.
Everything counts.
Nylon isn't biodegradable.
Of course it is not realistic not to use nylon, but we try as much as possible.
Everything adds up and in both directions.
And thus it is with education and the search for knowledge.
"Since I can't study in a university, then I won't study at all!" "Only university counts.
" "Only such and such a degree counts, or so and so variations of a subject.
" And thus it is with money, And thus with love, And thus with keeping the house clean, And thus it is with every act.
Remember, everything adds up!!!!!!!!!! Everything counts!!!!!!!!!!! The All or Nothing Syndrome is a black-and-white way of thinking, either- or.
As a result, it is also a way of managing oneself, a way of life.
We lose a lot as a result of this way of thinking.
I believe that there is no person who does not suffer, in one way or another, from this syndrome.
(It is also tied to the "perfectionism" phenomenon.
) So what can we do? Development and awareness go hand-in-hand.
Every person surely knows in which area, he or she is influenced by "all or nothing" Syndrome.
In order to eliminate the distractive effect of this syndrome, a person should pay attention to how he behave, to find the one or two areas in his life that his mind is programmed to "All or Nothing" and in those areas to try to behave "slightly" and to be satisfied with every action, because everything counts and everything is worthwhile, even a crumb.
" This "all or nothing" is a non-compromising state of mind.
More often than not, it can "trip us up," even becoming destructive.
How does the "All or Nothing" syndrome manifest itself? In Nutrition: When we are trying to maintain a healthy nutritional regimen, or any other type of eating style for that matter, and we commit one small transgression, that's it! From that instant, "let's eat!".
If we broke the rules, they do not matter anymore.
No more rules.
I wasn't disciplined; I sinned, so I might as well go all the way.
Sometimes this collapse lasts for just that one day, and sometimes it takes us a week or two (or even more) until we return to our regimen anew.
Does this sound familiar? It's "all or nothing" syndrome! Inside our heads, we all possess a computer that knows how to calculate the amount of calories we consume.
However, it also has an "on-off" switch.
We decide when it starts working and when it stops.
When the computer is "on" we count and add calories (or other nutrition data) to the extent of our limits.
However, when the computer is on "off," anything goes! Celebration! There are no limits! Again: "all or nothing.
" Then it becomes like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand.
And against the ostrich, no brain has a chance! This calculator has a fault.
Due to his "all or nothing state of mind, it does not have the ability to calculate backwards.
In other words, it does not calculate the effect of what I did not eat (in terms of calories and health).
It does not record my small gestures to my body.
This is "all or nothing.
" What does this mean? Let's assume that every morning I have a cup of coffee with a croissant - 700 calories.
I now decide that once a week I skip this habit - I did not eat (I gave up) 700x4=2800 calories in one month.
In one year, I will have eaten 33,600 calories less (approximately 5 kgs)!!! Is there someone who counts what they did not eat? What we don't destroy also add up! One more example: I know that French fries is not healthy, so I decide to only not eat fries.
I continue to eat cakes, but I don't touch fries.
Most would say, "What is the sense in that?" Admit it, you've told someone in the past, "Why do you drink sweetener if you eat cake?" "Well, my body gained from the 'no chips'!" Admit it, you didn't calculate the effect of what you "did not eat.
" When you start thinking of it like this, then everything has meaning, and we stop behaving according to "all or nothing.
" The body knows what we eat.
The rule of accumulation works to the fullest! Everything counts.
In Sports: The same goes for exercise - all or nothing.
Once in a week doesn't count, even twice.
You need at least three times a week, and one hour each time.
And if not three times, and if not an hour each time - then we might as well not do it at all.
Does this sound familiar? And if I didn't exercise for a month, then again we turn the switch to "off" and exercising leaves our routine completely and the ostrich plants itself again, until something else causes us to return to "on" again.
And the same goes for Recycling: All or Nothing.
Either I am a freak of recycling, or I don't even think about it.
You can actually do this only slightly, in small portion: Only bottles, only batteries.
It adds up.
It is better than nothing.
Whatever you recycled - you didn't pollute.
Everything counts.
Nylon isn't biodegradable.
Of course it is not realistic not to use nylon, but we try as much as possible.
Everything adds up and in both directions.
And thus it is with education and the search for knowledge.
"Since I can't study in a university, then I won't study at all!" "Only university counts.
" "Only such and such a degree counts, or so and so variations of a subject.
" And thus it is with money, And thus with love, And thus with keeping the house clean, And thus it is with every act.
Remember, everything adds up!!!!!!!!!! Everything counts!!!!!!!!!!! The All or Nothing Syndrome is a black-and-white way of thinking, either- or.
As a result, it is also a way of managing oneself, a way of life.
We lose a lot as a result of this way of thinking.
I believe that there is no person who does not suffer, in one way or another, from this syndrome.
(It is also tied to the "perfectionism" phenomenon.
) So what can we do? Development and awareness go hand-in-hand.
Every person surely knows in which area, he or she is influenced by "all or nothing" Syndrome.
In order to eliminate the distractive effect of this syndrome, a person should pay attention to how he behave, to find the one or two areas in his life that his mind is programmed to "All or Nothing" and in those areas to try to behave "slightly" and to be satisfied with every action, because everything counts and everything is worthwhile, even a crumb.