Healthy During Chaos
The road many ignore
You are doing everything by the book and still can't find the sweet spot with your health or lifestyle changes? Finally, manage one thing in your life for another to go haywire? One problem after the other unfolds without any break or recovery period. Pandemic, natural disasters, injustice, racism, inflation, and hate to name a few. Frustrating and discouraging fall short of describing the emotional turmoil. The inability to find or create balance is palpable in any aspect of one's life. Can you relate? Naturally, self-doubt and judgment become the influence of your inner voice. Forcing an impasse, you know well and are doing your best to avoid. You are willing to grasp on anything to keep you afloat, but it seems there is nothing to grasp on.
You are not alone!
This blog is here to tell you the despair you are experiencing is a fair response to the context or environment in which you are trying to upgrade your lifestyle and support your wellbeing. Fair is not to say the context is suitable or just. It's fair in that you are not crazy or wrong for feeling that way. So don't punish yourself, don't be too hard on yourself. It's not an uncalibrated behavior on your part. You should not feel less of a capable human for feeling that way. No matter how much the world forces you to believe that.
Now, is this the end? Is the only way to create balance to settle or give up? NO! Acceptance is part of the equation but not in a binary lens. This despair & turmoil is not the only option. These times do not need to define or create self-truth that responds to temporary and highly influenced versions of yourself. The next few words and ideas are intended to bring perspective and hopefully inspire you to create an effective healthy formula that can sustain your health efforts even during times of chaos & uncertainty.
Acceptance in Non-Binary
Pardon the usage of the buzz word but its the best to explain the role of acceptance. Is not black or white - it's gray and it comes in many shades! Yes, you want to accept yourself for who you are, but that doesn't mean you negate all you could potentially be. It is not about settling for an undesired flawed self or about accepting yourself only when you achieve expected perfection. It is about embracing your work-in-progress phase with patience, curiosity, support, and compassion. It's about learning to manage what's in your range and understanding what is out of your control...temporarily.
You get to choose!
The tricky part of this conundrum is defining what deserves your energy and having the patience to build endurance. Below are a few areas to ponder while you read the following blog.
Stress Management
Sleep Habits
Exercise
Nutrition
Joy
Mental Health
Relationships
One thing at a time.
Be your ally. Don't be the culprit that spreads you too thin. While desperation can have you grasping for anything that sounds appealing, that may be a double edge sword. How? A vacation may sound delightful if you are stressed or feel like a break could fix your problems. But, if that comes with a financial burden, is it a solution or adding insult to injury? Let's aim for sustainability here!
Pick one area and focus on that for a reasonable period. Consistent work on that one goal. Don't look elsewhere until that single aspect of your life can be strong, stable, and balanced enough to fuel your next endeavor. Cultivate the momentum. In terms of health and lifestyle, that can mean focusing on stress management before jumping on nutrition or exercise, for example. While it is ideal to combine all efforts, be mindful that the energy to fuel all those efforts is running thin. The goal is to leverage your fuel wisely and efficiently.
Simple is the New Black
Once you have chosen your single area of focus, aim for a simple daily task that supports the goal. The degree of simplicity will allow fewer roadblocks to action. The goal is not to accessorize the effort, but to make it easier to say yes to the action!
REALITY CHECK: You don't need a perfect workout outfit to get the exercise done. You don't need an expensive water jug to get into the habit of drinking water. You don't need a fancy notebook, to start journaling. You don't need a perfectly designed room to meditate or do yoga. You cannot wait for the schedule to lay out perfectly to prioritize your health. Small actions add up and have a positive impact.
All you need is to show up. The extra items could enhance the experience, but often than not, complicate your ability to commit to action. Now, in a world where chaos is order, why would you purposely put more in the mix? Do what's accessible, don't pressure yourself to do more.
It’s Okay to Pace Yourself!
It's a marathon, but it's not a miserable journey if you advocate for your wellbeing with compassion. Pace your efforts in a diligent but reasonable manner. While it would be ideal to fix health problems overnight, it's not a realistic goal during times of chaos. Is it the time to be fixated on timeframes? Wouldn't it be wiser to focus on steady-paced progress rather than radical transformation?
Don't ask yourself to run a sprint if you know there is no fuel for that. Pace your efforts first and build the stamina that supports transformation in chaotic and uncertain scenarios.
These ideas may seem too simple to be effective, but their efficiency is bulletproof. You may argue that it’s taking the easy way out. But don’t discredit practical and accessible efforts that will add up to your benefit. Try it!
Shifts to Support Your Wellbeing in times of Chaos
Try these shifts having your preferences and circumstances in mind. Modify as you see fit. If you would like an even more personalized approach reach out and let’s get on a free call to see what are your options.
From my journey to yours
You deserve the chance!
I'm aware of the simple ways you can support your well-being. Yet, I have had days when the world's chaos gets the best of me and leave me motionless & overwhelmed. There are days when even simple activities seem like a huge burden. While I accept those days will be part of my journey, I don't accept that it's going to become my life or go-to behavior.
When it gets to be too much, I simplify. I don't quit. I accept the bare minimum until I can boost my efforts to higher intensities. Why? Because when the going gets tough, I need to be strong. Quitting or settling doesn't solve the problem, it aggravates the circumstances long-term. It's not perfect but it's possible. You deserve the chance to prove it to yourself.
It's not that I don't fail under chaos, but I don't quit my journey. That is my definition of success. I'm here for you if you need guidance, support & accountability.
Until Next One!
Stay happy, stay healthy, Stay BALANCED,
