'Everything in
moderation' is a mantra most of you have heard at some point in your lives,
probably suggested as a warning against advancing overboard with any activity,
such as eating, working out, drinking, shopping, or watching TV.
However, some people can't do anything in
moderation, irrespective of how strong the advice. Taking just one drink on a
night out seems pointless, working out once a week feels useless, and going
shopping to buy one piece of clothing seems like too much effort.
For some people, moderation takes on the
negative implication affiliated with restraint and low output. They're more the
all-or-nothing kind.
The Mindset
One of the most common forms of cognitive
distortions in the brain is the all-or-nothing mindset. It promotes an outright
viewpoint that involves thinking and imagining in extremes, in shades of black
and white, that rules out mistakes, slip-ups, or subtlety.
This kind of thinking is much frequent in
those who suffer from anxiety, depression, or suicidal self-destructiveness, or
those who have been diagnosed with eating disorders.
An all-or-nothing mentality is related to
vulnerability and negative emotions in people, both when they decide to not
accomplish something because it can't be perfect, and when they bet everything
and indulge in binge behaviors.
The 'nothing' part of this mindset is
seen in how perfectionists, in their urge to be perfect, usually can't see
anything to the finish line as their anxiety on not being perfect ends up being
an unbeatable barrier that prevents them from even trying in the first place.
Take the case of someone who is on a diet
or a person is on a deadline to finish a venture at work — in the event that
they have an all-or-nothing mindset, then even a small wrinkle during the process
of dieting or finishing the task would drive them to stop all processes as
though the small twinge corrupted the entire pursuit and it can't be restored.
No In-Between
It means, on the off chance that
something can't be a hundred percent, then it has to be a zero percent, and
there's no in-between. This approach worsens mental health issues, lowering
self-esteem and satisfaction, and keeps people from trying, reducing overall
well being.
Take the other end of the range: Binging,
which is a typical manner in which people prefer to deal with negative
emotions. Continued binge habits, like binge-eating disorder, warns feelings of
powerlessness, isolation, shame, and guilt.
These emotions can arise from a person's
psychology, brain chemistry, or social and cultural history. Binging may be a
way an individual chooses to numb feelings of sadness (as so frequently
embodied in characters who are drunkards or stress eaters in pop culture).
It is a venture that supports a physical
addiction to the feel-good hormone, dopamine, which is secreted in huge amounts
when eating, drinking, or indulging in any pleasurable activity. Binging can
befall as a consequence of mental health issues and in turn, contribute to
mental health issues.
Get To Grips With
Root Causes
It's known that both the 'all' and
'nothing' mindsets are toxic to people, except moderation doesn't come easy
either. Research explains that humans are built on habit, no matter how healthy
or unhealthy they are.
So to break the empty words that advise
moderation — it is not going to work as long as people are still operating from
their psychological need to go all or nothing.
Similarly as with any behaviors that
have a premise in mental health, tackling root causes go a long way in fixing
superficial behaviors in a more sustainable, healthy manner.
Written by - Anusha Vajha
Edited by – Adrija Saha
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