It’s not always rainbows and unicorns in life. Things take place. Life is unpredictable. Things always seem to spring up just when you think things would slow down and you’ll have more time to focus on your methods of self-care. You’ve undoubtedly been there (or in a similar scenario) before, so this is probably familiar territory for you. Seasons exist in training and life in general, just as they do in many other things, such as spring, summer, fall, and winter. The pandemic period was tough and people had to rely on disposable 3D/4D face masks and social distancing to keep themselves safe from the virus. But with masks, there should also be motivation for self-development and learning.
These seasons come and go in cycles, much like your willingness to exercise or stick to a diet program. You’ll train hard and have your nutrition and lifestyle dialed in or in line with your goals throughout some seasons. Other seasons, on the other hand, may need you to take some time off to balance your efforts with other concerns such as self-care or life events. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time off to allow yourself to simply be, to simply live, and gather the motivation to lead a simple life.
There will be times in our lives when we need to take a break from our health and fitness goals. We may require extra time to relax or more space to attend to other pressing matters. Here are some pointers on how to take care of yourself and honor what you need most at any given time in your life and assess the need for self-care.
To free up more energy for other tasks, passions, or goals in your life, you may need to take some time off from workouts or stick to a tight diet. Perhaps you have a sick child or a parent who requires special attention. You may be working on a critical deadline that necessitates working longer hours than normal, making it impossible to accomplish your morning workouts unless you forgo sleep.
Each of these things necessitates a clear understanding of what is most essential to you at any given time. So, take a breath and assess how much time and energy you have to devote to parts of your fitness, health, and wellness. Decide what you have the time and energy to complete right now, keeping in mind that these are temporary decisions. Then, apply what you can dedicate your energy and attention to, and be compassionate with yourself if it means skipping exercises or cutting back on other areas of your health and wellness goals.
Instead of assuming you must exercise five days this week, perhaps three brief workouts will suffice. Rather than reading ten pages of your new book, set a goal of reading only one page. You get the idea: do the simplest thing you can at the time, knowing that doing something is preferable to doing nothing. But, in between do not forget that precautionary measures such as using disposable face masks and social distancing is a must when you are going outside. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of honoring your season of life is being compassionate with yourself.
