What Gives? Making Space for Healthy Habits

MidLifer Chronicles 6

continuing the weight loss journey takes persistence and a willingness to review the demands we carry

MidLifer Chronicles - Bringing Calm to the Chaos (optional read)

This week has felt hectic and chaotic. I've started to get my mojo back and feel more engaged with getting things done including ensuring I sweat the health, diet and fitness sprouts. That's a win. Not perfect, but better than the last few weeks.

I have found, however, that the days feel more hectic than they have been, more chaotic in some respects. Like I am moving fast from one thing to another, changing things round, making decisions on the fly and cramming stuff in - like my daily act of defiance - the 60 press-ups/ burpees or whatever it is.

The Work Has To Be Done?

That got me thinking that when we reconnect with health - the work has to be done, habits to carry out and that means more in the day. And this is why we can often manage for a while, but then drop off with a sense of burnout - diet burnout - I like to think of it as. When we drop them we create space in our lives again. And that can be a relief. Albeit a short-lived relief. Let's face it, we often find other things to fill the gaps, and we can also find we feel guilty and start to beat ourselves up for not getting round to the healthier stuff.

And so the cycle can continue. Busy, tired, burning out, stopping, catching ourselves on, re-committing to the habits, carrying them out, feeling busy again, dropping them, finding space and enjoying respite for a short-time before repeating the whole cycle.

Exhausting!

Quiet Time

This is where, that recently introduced morning quiet time I wrote about last week (enjoy 30-45 mins of quiet with a cuppa before everyone else gets up), has proved itself invaluable. It's only a week since I started this, but already it has paid for itself over and over.

In respect of the above problem, my quiet time this morning helped me spot the cycle and recognise where I was heading if I continued. I am mid-cycle - busy, juggling, doing the healthy stuff, and flying by the seat of my pants. All good at this moment, but the growing sense of chaos is there and this morning I spotted it.

And that was enough to get me thinking, 'ok, so what can I do about it? i don't want to drop the healthy habits, and I know there is a lot to juggle, what can I do?'

And that's when I caught the assumption underlying this (I wrote it in an earlier paragraph - did you spot it?). That the work has to be done and there is inevitably more in the day.

Challenging the Assumption

Why? What makes me simply assume this means more? If I base things on this assumption then the cycle above is inevitable isn't it? It can't be sustained.

And the key to achieving long term success here is sustainability.

So the question I asked myself after challenging that assumption is: What gives? How do I make space for the habits rather than simply cram them in?

Now, I am working on this - the answer is not immediately obvious. Which, for me is important learning. Just because the answer is not obvious does not mean there is no answer to this. It is important to recognise that my instinct to accept the 'just add it in to the day' is rooted in a belief that I have no choice or power to reflect and review my current work and life demands.

As I always, say in my 'sprout sessions' - it can be so easy to simply see a big pile of cabbages (demands) and not recognise the individual cabbages in the pile.

So, my task over the weekend is to reflect on the cabbages, identify them (know thy cabbages!!) and establish whether I can 'D.A.D.s' them - Ditch any? Automate or Delegate (is it even my cabbage??), and Simplify - this is where the most opportunities are for me I think. I'm going to re-organise my calendar, block out time chunks for each cabbage and be a little more disciplined in managing interruptions, and distractions so I can get more done. Oh, and build in some space between those chunks (air locks) to allow my head to catch-up.

Intentions and Plans

So, that's my intention for the week ahead - catch myself on and get organised in order to ensure the healthy habits don't get swamped by the seemingly incessant demands.

So, my question to you is this. Have you started to accept the demands (cabbages) of your life as inevitable? Can you name your cabbages - identify them and reduce the load a little, get organised just a bit more, and make time for space in your day?

You can do this. Sweat the right sprout-sized habits, rituals and routines and improve your health for midlife and beyond!

Find Out More

In the meantime, check out the podcast to check out the episodes and if you want to learn more about the support I offer in relation to helping you achieve your health and weight loss goals sustainably, visit the Academy or learn more about my more intensive Re-Shape Accelerator programmes, designed to help you to get your health back on track and establish lifelong habits for a more fulfilling midlife.

You can sign-up below to receive a weekly update from Dave - never miss an episode, resource or tip to help you re-shape your mid-life health and recapture that spirit of midlife adventure:

Dave

Dave Algeo, Restless Mid-Lifer
'It is never too late to get life back on your terms and have even bigger adventures!'
dave@restlessmidlifer.com

Dave has limited availability for one to one immersive re-shape support. Get in touch to learn more:

Sign-up to receive Dave’s weekly ‘Restless Mid-Lifer Chronicles’ - stay up to date with podcast episodes, resources, tools, tips and news:

Check out the 'Restless MidLifer’ Podcast: