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If you’ve followed me or have been reading my blog for a bit, then you’ve probably heard me talk about balance on more than one occasion. I think its key to so many aspects of life. From work-life balance, to balance between going out and staying in, between spending and saving, to time with others and alone, and of course, to your health. I think everything requires balance to be sustained! I can do a Whole 30 for a month, but then I need some wine and carbs and sweets. I can workout really hard, but I also have mornings I need to snooze or days I want to lounge around. I can save and save, but then I need to have a little fun and employ the #treatyoself mindset. It all balances out. Today, I’m talking about seeking balance when it comes to your every day mindset and overall health.
I believe that our physical health, as well as what we eat in terms of healthy vs. not plays into our mental health. As important as I believe it is to eat good, healthy food, I also think its important to indulge. Indulging without worry is key to sticking to something long term for me. I do really well with limits, but if they go on too long, I can’t deal. I’ll go off the rails worse than before. If I balance things out, then it’s so much easier for me.
I actually crave a healthy smoothie or a green juice after a big weekend of indulgences or a long vacation. If I go two or three days without working out, my body craves that movement. To me, we are always trying to find the right balance. Time and seasons change, demands between work and our personal lives vary, so we are constantly rearranging and reprioritizing. We have to weigh what is most important to us in that moment, day, or week. If I earn that something didn’t outweigh like I thought it might later, then I can keep that in mind for the next time.
Yesterday is a good example of this for me. Monday morning rolled around and I was super sleepy. I stayed up too late working and when 5 AM came just a few hours after I fell asleep (see a glimpse into my daily schedule here) I did not pop out of bed. I pressed snooze and jumped back in. I did that two more times before finally getting up and forcing myself downstairs to do a little workout. I only did a small arm workout (I love this video) for like twenty minutes, compared to my usual 45-60 minute workout. I thought in the moment that sleeping a little bit extra would be worth it, but honestly in hindsight, I didn’t feel like it was. I felt kinda gross and ‘blah’ all day. I noticed myself sort of going down the rabbit hole. I do this sometimes. I’m sure we all do. I make myself feel bad for not doing meeting all of my expectations, for not pushing myself more, for being ‘lazy.’ I probably would have had more energy if I would have gotten a workout in, but regardless, I wasn’t giving myself any grace.
Some days, we crush it. Other days, we don’t. The key is to know that we can balance it all out, that we can learn each day, and try again tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like every extra minute of sleep was worth skipping the workout. Yesterday, I didn’t. Now the rest of the week, when my alarm goes off, I’ll probably be more likely to get up and get after a workout. I’ll resist the urge as best I can to sleep a bit more. The next time I sleep in, I’ll remember that being hard on myself didn’t help. It’s okay to skip the workout, it’s okay to eat the pizza. Its okay. As long as it balances out, it’s okay.
I often describe my body type as ‘workouts, but likes pizza and wine.’ Its the truth. I believe in living and indulging, and generally, giving myself a break. I try to make better life choices in the day to day to see small progress over time. This workout top was beyond perfect for me. It represents my mindset of balance is key. A balanced life is what lasts and that is what works for me. When I catch myself being too hard on myself, not giving myself grace, or setting unrealistic expectations, I try to stop and think. I challenge you all to do the same! It’s so easy to make yourself feel bad and really, it just adds to the stress, unhappiness, and insecurity. The next time you catch yourself feeling bad for skipping a workout, for eating the cupcake, for drinking the wine on a Monday (or Tuesday or Sunday or whenever), I urge you to think about how you can balance that out. Work out the next day and do something to push yourself. Eat a salad with a green juice for lunch. Chug water. Just find the balance that works for you!
I struggle with perfectionism (something I need to make it’s own post), so as much progress as I make, I continue to want more. I have a long torso and short legs and my legs gain muscle super quick, so they can bulk up and be a challenge for me to slim down. That’s been my biggest goal with working out (more on slimming hips down here), but my progress has been slow because ya, I like pizza. I keep this in mind and try to focus on how far I’ve come, rather than where I ultimately to be.
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Life is too short to strive for perfection over progress and frankly, living without giving yourself and others grace to learn and grow is not a positive way to live. We all need times where others are there to build us up on the not so good days, so even if you can’t always be the positive voice for yourself, be it for someone else. Sometimes, I hear myself encouraging someone and I myself need to take my words to heart. I encourage you all to be that person for someone today and hopefully, I am that little reminder for you.
Keep it positive, keep it balanced. You got this! XO
