I need to tell you one very important thing that you must remember: You always do your best. Always. You always do your best with what you know at the time and with what you’ve got. And you can rely on this fact when things get a little bumpy and you feel you are not doing enough. Because I can assure you that you do a lot! Every day. It may not always feel like an achievement and it may not always be seen by other people. But I know that you always try your best at everything. Leading a healthy and balanced life is a journey, not a destination.
Life happens
It’s so hard to live up to expectations, especially those that we set for ourselves. Occasionally when we decide that we want to make a change, life gets in the way.
I just got a great weekly routine going. It involved vegetable packed meals, regular yoga sessions, meditation, quality time with the kids – I thought I was on top of things and felt amazing. I’d just started exercising again after giving birth (9 months ago) and was ready for a positive change and a more active life. This lasted for a grand total of two weeks and then we all got sick. Since then I’ve been down and out, just getting through the days. No yoga, no meditation, cheese and vegemite toast was on high rotation at meal times and overall it wasn’t what you’d call a healthy and dynamic life. Far from it! Back to square one.
I’ve had moments like this before: I’d been indulging (gleefully) for some time in lots of food choices that belong in the ‘sometimes’ category. I started to have the nagging feeling that I should really ‘know better’ and got slightly annoyed with myself about not making a change sooner. So I decided it’s time to get back to a more balanced approach. And what happens: Our car brakes down right before I have a chance to go grocery shopping, no food in the house and we end up having pizza delivered for dinner. Not exactly what I had in mind ;).
Be kind and take stock
When things like this happen to you, and you feel like you are not doing enough to lead a healthy life, I urge you to take a step back and take stock. Count all the things you stay on top of and all the things you do on a daily basis. There will be quite a lot. And then remind yourself not to beat yourself up if you don’t do them all to perfection.
One of the most important ways to be kind to yourself is to take stock of what your life looks like at the moment. The challenges you currently face and the time and energy you have at our disposal. There is no perfect way of eating or perfect way of looking after your health. There is only the way that is most achievable for you right now. And no, I don’t mean that take away pizza should be part of your capsule kitchen :). Or that vegemite and cheese toast every other night is a good idea. But don’t be discouraged if you try to make changes and they are not happening straight away. Because you can rely on the fact that you always try your best. And that is what will make sustainable change to a healthier (and happier) life possible.
So instead of feeling frustrated when things are going wrong, why not look forward to trying again tomorrow.
Much love,
Katrine x
cover photo by Helena Hertz on Unsplash