Granting permission to deviate & add value
What to do when you just don't want to...
The change of the seasons, dark mornings, dank weather and shorter days can make it difficult to stick to a routine of being active.
I’m sure we’ve all procrastinated over that ‘thing’ due to rain, darkness, and general reluctance, only to finally get out to do it and feel positively evangelical afterwards.
Feeling all ‘ahhh, the miracle of activity to break the cycle of internal excuses,’ yet ignoring the six hours spent creating an internal masterpiece of reasons to be cosy instead.
We know how good activity is for us really. The science is there, the feelings are there (afterwards anyway!) yet sometimes a barrier remains.
Reminding ourselves what that evangelical post-activity buzz feels like can often be the nudge out the door we need, but when it isn’t it’s worth considering not trying to force it…
“You can’t push a river, let the river flow,” my mum says as she recites Chinese proverbs to me.
My point is, we can add value in many ways - why does it need to be that specific ‘thing’ today?
There are many ways to add value and be active.
Yoga, gardening, switching your run to a walk, a cold dip, climbing, hitting a few balls, taking a cup of tea outside… Something will always add value to your day and enjoyment contributes to consistency.
“Being active can be the constant rather than the activity itself.”
Give yourself permission and flexibility to do something you will enjoy, or perhaps have the least resistance to, rather than ‘the thing’.
(Note: If you’re training for an event, sorry, the structure is quite important. Try to suck it up - future you will be glad).
Consistency doesn’t need to be specific.
Being active can be the constant rather than the activity itself.
This is even more so the case when you don’t feel like doing anything. Flexibility and freedom to do any activity over the ideal ‘thing’ means you’re more likely to do something you will take enjoyment from, rather than feeling your mind melt over doing nothing.
Permit yourself to deviate from the ideal. You might find your enjoyment increases and you end up doing more over the week because of it.
I give myself permission to walk instead of run. Often I end up running anyway. Failing that, I’m flexible enough to know the ‘active’ part is my routine not ‘the thing’, so I’ll go for an open water dip instead - it never fails to make me feel good and it’s fun.
Whatever it is, there will be something. It might not be the ideal ‘thing’ but critically, permission to be flexible and freedom to enjoy will mean it’s not nothing.
Doing nothing rarely adds value, you’d likely end up feeling guilty or frustrated for not making time for yourself.
If you overcome your reluctance and find a way through, you’ll set a much better mental pattern of resilience. You might even surprise yourself with how much enjoyment you get, despite superficial thoughts of not wanting to do anything.
Walk.
Take a cold dip.
Practice Yoga.
Shorten what you planned.
Garden.
Drinking a cup of tea outside.
Listen to the birds.
Permission —> enjoyment —> consistency —-> lifestyle you’re proud of.
Emma Goodwin-Jones is a qualified personal trainer, pilates teacher and cancer & exercise specialist based in Yorkshire and Cumbria. She specialises in helping people add value to life as it is now, keeping enjoyment and longevity as core. An advocate for being outside, she spends her free time in the mountains or by the sea running, swimming and cycling. emmagoodwinjones.co.uk
 |
|