We are back! After a couple of unexpected weeks off, as Covid-19 threw a little spanner in the works, we are back to our normal scheduling of Well-Being Wednesday. Thank you for all your messages and calls over the past few weeks. I feel very lucky to have experienced only mild symptoms and I am even more thankful for my foundation of strong health, fitness and immune system to be able to fight off the virus. The silver lining to all this is, while my body did its thing, I had a couple of weeks of doing virtually nothing except watching marathon streamings of Friends (from the beginning), This Is Us (why have I never watched this before?) and Married at First Sight Australia (awful reality show but somehow felt like relationship therapy at the same time so maybe it was a win?!). In addition to multiple naps a day and watching rubbish TV, it was a novelty to have absolutely no work or personal commitments, nowhere to be, no-one to see, and no errands to run. When does that ever happen? Even when we decide to “relax” there is usually a running list in the background of things we want to or should be doing, and that nagging feeling can really interrupt our downtime. The past couple of weeks have reminded me of some valuable things that we should all try to remember:
We live in a world where a “fast pace” is normal and we use it as a badge of honour to somehow prove our work ethic. Do you really want to be running so fast that you miss all of the beauty, people and experiences around you? You can work hard but still make sure you are enjoying the life around you.
We live in a high stress state almost every day. Even if we think our stress and anxiety has decreased over the years, has it really? Or have we just adjusted our thresholds and our definitions of stress? Chances are, you think you are dealing with the rollercoaster of life well but your 200,000 body and brain are still operating in fight or flight mode.
We put the most amount of pressure on ourselves. Most of the expectations, the standards and the commitments we have, are defined by ourselves because we feel we have to do those things to be successful, to not let other people down or be seen as a good person. Ask yourself what really matters most to you, and only do those things that bring you joy.
If we don’t listen to ourselves, and find some true balance, our bodies will make us slow down without warning. We have to take care of our minds and bodies everyday, and part of that is knowing when to rest
Take some time to look at your life balance right now, whether it is exactly as you want it to be. Take some time to identify where you could make some small adjustments to start, and it will all help towards creating a life that you can truly love and enjoy! I am totally recovered now and back to normal, so if you need any extra support with your nutrition, training or mindset, I am here to chat as always. Have a great rest of the week, and remember to find some time to rest 🙂