The Mind Body Project
The Mind Body Project
MM Ep 24: Break The Cycle
We explore how the phrase “It runs in my family” can trap us in harmful cycles and how mindful choices can shift that story to “It ran.” We focus on practical steps for changing habits around food, movement, addiction, and mental health for ourselves and others.
• challenging the family narrative that limits change
• deciding to break the cycle with agency
• naming common cycles in food, exercise, addiction, mental health
• using therapy and open talk instead of bottling feelings
• shifting language from present to past tense through action
• modeling new patterns for family, friends, and partners
• creating small, repeatable habits that reshape identity
Welcome back to a mindful moment. Have you ever said that just runs my family? Or that's the way I grew up? That's the way I think we get caught in saying those, that runs in my family. I think sometimes we say a lot when it's maybe it's being overweight. Maybe it's different issues that we might have that we just played off as it runs in my family. What if it has run in your family? But what if you're the one that decides to break the cycle? What if you're the one that says it ran in my family? So that way maybe the next generation doesn't say the same as we do that it runs in my family. Their conversation because of you is it ran in my family. And it's sometimes up to us to decide we want to break a cycle. Maybe it's a cycle of addictions. Maybe it's a cycle of poor eating habits. Maybe it's a cycle of not exercising. Maybe it's a cycle of having mental, not a good mental health, and changing that, learning that it's okay to go to therapy, to work through those issues and instead of bottling it all up. Maybe we're the one that takes those issues on and decide it runs in my family, but I'm going to be the one that changes it. And I'm the one that says it ran in my family. That's who I used to be. That's not who I currently am. So I want to challenge you in this mindful moment to be mindful of that when you say, say those words and realize that you have the power, I have the power in my life, you have the power in your life to stop the cycle, to change the cycle, not only for you, but possibly for future generations. Maybe how you how you change that cycle and your example to family, to friends, to a spouse. You not only change your life, your cycle, you could possibly change someone else's life cycle. So I challenge you to do that too. Think about stop saying it runs in my family to get to the point where you can say it ran in my family. Thank you for joining me on this week's Mindful Moment. I look forward to seeing right here next time on Mindful Moments.