“Doing it All” Slows You Down
This week’s blog post is here to serve as a reminder: you cannot be “on” 100% of the time.
We’ve mentioned this idea before. We live in a society run by a hustling and grinding. This culture is seen as standard. If you can’t “keep up,” then you’re weak, lazy or unsuccessful.
The funny thing is, this isn’t in our nature.
Always doing something. Feeling the need to be productive. Rushing from one task or errand to the next.
Days like these will lead to burnout.
Burnout can be described as slowly losing one’s mental and even physical resources.
Signs of burnout include:
Procrastination
Chronic fatigue
Cynicism
Loss of imagination for the future
Lack of motivation or will to try
Irritation/mood swings
Changes in sleep
Headaches
Getting sick frequently
And much more
A day like this every once in a while is perfectly fine. But as a lifestyle, that’s where most will start to face internal and external battles. This is where harmony can help.
Your brain and body need time to unplug and relax. We’ve become so overstimulated that we don’t know what it’s like to be bored, play and explore often. Thankfully, this is something in our control.
Unplug from work. Stop scrolling on your phone. Stop saying yes to things when you really want to say no.
This is a huge lesson and skill to learn – it’ll take time and will most likely be a lifelong practice.
Doing too much all the time can actually have the opposite intended effect. It can cause you to move backward rather than forward. As most of our topics, this is true both in and out of the gym.
Over exercising can lead to injury, plateaus and burnout.
What can you do? Remind yourself that you don’t need to do 101 things a day to be “productive.” Everyone has their version and you can have one that’s totally different. Make time for things you love and enjoy. Make time for rest too.
If you’re someone who keeps a to-do list, identify your top three tasks each day. Focus on one at a time before moving on or doing something else. Remember to be flexible and flow too. Life may cause you to deviate from your list or schedule.
In the gym, implement progressive overload AND deload weeks.
Our bodies are strong in that they can adapt to almost anything. This is beautiful and important, but it can also be a downfall. This is why most of society chalks a lot of ailments up to “getting old.”
For example, waking up and still feeling tired is a sign that your body needs more sleep. Essentially, you should wake up feeling refreshed and energized. But most are so used to feeling fatigued that they just think that’s how life is.
We’ve said it before and will say it again: Just because something is common does not mean it is normal.
Rushing. Hustle. Headaches. Back pain. Tight muscles. Earning time to rest, relax or play.
Life does not have to be this way. You have the choice AND power to live intentionally. Implement moments of mindfulness and presence; dedicate time away from screens; spend time in nature; and even do “nothing.”
Watch what you’re doing in between tasks too. Are you jumping from one right into the next? Over and over all day? Before starting your next to-do, opt to take a break. Take a quick lap around the house, read a few pages or just sit out in the sun.
Life should be full of harmony. Work hard, put in effort and make strides but also relax, have fun and explore. It’ll pay off in the long run.