A short message for those who are struggling..
Last weekend my dog, Stringer, was sick. I have an unhealthy amount of emotional attachment to him so dealing with this isn’t my strong suit. He’s 12 so it’s forced me to consider his mortality, even more than usual, and that’s really tough.
Additionally he had a few accidents in the apartment that I was up late cleaning so I’ve been operating in a sleep deficit which really impacts my mood.
All of these things combined and my bandwidth just isn’t great. When we have little bandwidth it’s hard to get ourselves to take care of ourselves much less do the extra stuff.
Waking up and showering feels hard. Replying to work emails feels hard. Making dinner feels hard. When the basic tasks feel like they’re taking 10 times more effort, can you really expect yourself to go hit it hard in the gym or track your calories?
It’s so important to recognize where you’re at and meet yourself with grace.
That doesn’t mean you should make excuses and not take care of yourself. This doesn’t mean takeout should be on the menu each night. It doesn’t mean you should skip your daily workout. In fact self care is more important now than ever.
By simply acknowledging the fact that you’re struggling right now and not judging yourself for it will go a long way.
Maybe right now isn’t the time to count macros and be meticulous. But you can still make sure you’re nourishing your body with loads of fresh produce and meat.
And as much as you enjoy crushing your daily workouts, it’s okay to scale back right now. If heading to the gym for heavy leg day feels like it’s too much, you can go for a walk.
The body still needs nourishing activity and food, and it’s important to stay disciplined and respect yourself. But you can do that in a way that fills you up rather than only taking away.
So for those who are struggling, give yourself grace. Communicate your feelings and needs with others so they know where you’re at and can help you. Meet yourself where you’re at. And know that this
Is temporary.
Your Coach,
Kyra
P.S. I recently recorded a podcast with Grief Coach, Kate Douglass about how grief, loss and stress impacts the body. Listen to that here.