#38: Adjusting the Dial of Intensity Instead of Throwing in the Towel

MYB EPISODE 38: ADJUSTING THE DIAL OF INTENSITY INSTEAD OF

THROWING IN THE TOWEL

Most of us have viewed “getting healthy” as a series of sprints. We go ALL IN when conditions are perfect, focus hard on achieving a short-term goal, then we do one of two things:

1. quit because “life” is happening
2. achieve our short term goal and go back to our old habits

Neither of these “finish lines” create sustainable health or healthy habits. This is why yo-yo dieting or on-the-wagon/off-the-wagon plans are the norm.

LET’S ACCEPT THAT LIFE HAS NO PAUSE BUTTON.

The key lesson here is that, like it or not, the game of life keeps going.

There is no timeout.

There’s never going to be a moment when things are magically easier.

You can’t escape work, personal, and family demands. Nor can you escape the need for health and fitness in your life.

We can’t “take a break” from parenting, from our marriage or partnership, or from our job or business.

We understand that we just have to muddle through, even when it’s hard or we don’t feel like it.

We find strategies to make it tolerable, to make things work better, to customize our own approach.

This is what we need to do when it comes to taking care of ourselves.

HOW TO STAY ON OUR OWN TEAM, NO MATTER WHAT

As we discussed in Episode 37, it’s NOT about being perfect, it’s about staying WITH ourselves no matter what “Life” is throwing at us.

(Episode 37 here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/37-embracing-imperfection-other-superpowers-for-getting/id1286869495?i=1000460000175)

As with everything in life, the “All or nothing” mentality rarely gets us “all”. It usually gets us “nothing”. Our new mantra should be “always something”, no matter what it is.

SKILL 1: Adjust your intensity to fit what’s happening in your life.

Instead of focusing on what you are NOT up for, put your energy and focus on what you ARE willing and able to do today to be healthy mentally and physically.

• Are you willing to fill a big water bottle and commit to drinking it?
• Are you willing to pack a lunch or healthy snack?
• Are you willing to go to bed on time instead of staying up?
• Are you willing to go for a 15 minute walk?
• Are you willing to breathe and stretch for 5 minutes?
• Are you willing to schedule a time to connect with a friend?

SKILL 2: Aim for a little better.

Don’t overlook seemingly small opportunities to make better choices. This is the OPPOSITE of throwing in the towel!

Examples:

• Sparkling water instead of alcohol
• Herbal tea in the afternoon instead of coffee
• A side of veggies instead of fries
• An apple instead of chips

SKILL 3: Identify likely obstacles and plan for them. Otherwise known as: Know thyself!

Becoming aware of our patterns and most common obstacles – and getting creative about workarounds – makes life feel so much more peaceful!

Examples:

• If you know your mornings are hectic, can you pack a lunch the night before?

• If you know your weekday evenings are busy, can you plug in a crockpot, prep some food on the weekend, or make a healthy casserole to re-heat?

• If you know you are likely to talk yourself out of going to the gym, can you schedule with a friend so you feel more accountable?

EXTRA CREDIT:

To dive deeper into this perspective shift, and the skills required to hold onto it, check out the article from Precision Nutrition that inspired this episode:

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/pause-button-mentality

We’d love to know your thoughts. Was this helpful? Do you have other topics you’d like to hear us discuss? Let us know on our MYB Facebook page!

xo,

Lisa and Jenny, co-hosts

The Mind Your Body Podcast