help me feel better about myself - burn out

[ScarboroughFairy]

I've failed one of my new years resolution of no takeaways as of tonight. I tried cooking my own food and taking it with me but didnt find it satisfying enough. I was thinking about a takeaway since about Christmas. That's the longest self control I've ever had to be be fair. But I went back to biting my nails off and other unhealthy habits first before I caved. I'm not the best cook but it's not that bad, i didn't order one because of a lack of cooking skills. I had the best of intentions but have been really stressed and burned out - by the first month of the year. i felt I needed to treat myself. But I feel bad about myself and how can I trust myself if I cant keep my word to myself. I'm feeling really negative about myself right now. 6

Tomorrow's another day. You know you can wait longer in-between takeaways now so that's positive progress, and food is easier to deal with if you leave nothing off the table, so to speak. EVERYTHING moderation is fine. Having the occasional takeaway doesn't mean you've failed. It means you're human ❤️

Enjoy it for what it was, pat yourself on the back for waiting so long,and challenge yourself to wait a bit longer in-between each time if you can.

A lot of this is about the language you use with yourself.

It's done, look at tomorrow instead. 80% perfect i.e. moderation, is fine. Great that you recognised triggers. What can you learn for next time?

Frankly well done for making it that far through an abysmally long January!

Hi OP,
It sounds like you have alot on your plate at the moment and trying to make changes in these circumstances is even harder than normal. It's also normal to take 2 steps forward and 1 back when making changes. You are still heading in the right direction which is huge progress! I'm a therapist working with mums and I've written about things mums can consider when making resolutions- hopefully you can find some helpful information in there about how to move forward from here :)

https://mothernurturetherapy.co.uk/resolutions-changes-as-a-mum/

An occasional takeaway is amazing. Don't beat yourself up.

To be honest you’re setting yourself up for failure with your mindset so burnout is inevitable and your own issue

I’m in my 20s, well paid and tech literate. Between 2021-2024 pretty much every meal I had was deliveroo. I didn’t grocery shop unless it was to get a ready meal or meal deal or something quick to eat there & then. I didn’t need to because I could afford a Starbucks in the morning, pasta for lunch, something from my local restaurant for dinner etc.

in 2024 I knocked it on the head. I think in 2025 I had about 6 takeaways. And this year I have already had one. To me, the mindset isn’t restricting takeaways in totality. It’s just ordering takeaways LESS. so even if you ordered 50 last year and 49 this year, you still need to be proud of doing less as a whole. If you start with big big expectations then you’re less likely to meet them. And obviously in time your mindset shifts where it’s easier for you to order no takeaways.

The only decision that matters is what you do NEXT.

Worrying about something done isn't helpful.

Resolutions are daft anyway. But, maybe be kind to yourself, and think about how looking after your health is another way to be kind to yourself.