The Paradox of Avoidance: How It Keeps You Stuck and Exhausted
Last week I wrote about how I have lost 8 lbs in the past month during my recent cut. You can read it in its entirety HERE
But this week I had a day where my energy seemed to be in the gutter. I hadn't slept great the night before (we have a sick dog with a bad cough whos keeping us up all night)
The next day, as a result of a rough night sleep, everything I had been doing with ease, all of a sudden seemed like a GIANT chore.
With my energy low on this day I didn't want to eat the same foods, I didn't want to exercise, I felt restless, and was resisting everything I had planned on doing and accomplishing for the day.
I was avoiding EVEERYTHING on my to-do list for the day. I'd pick up the bedroom, wipe the counters, pace the house. I got to a point where I thought, I should probably lay down and take a nap. Try and catch up on some sleep.
It was after cleaning the kitchen and pacing around my running shoes for an hour I finally said "ok, I have to get this done."
I was spending so much time avoiding the things I knew I wanted to do that I realized it was costing me MORE energy avoiding the thing than actually doing it.
Avoiding the things that are in our best interest take more energy than it does to actually do it.
I likened it to when you have too many tabs open on your computer or phone and if you don't close them it slows down the efficiency and speed in which it will function. Well I had too many tabs open (running, emails, program updates to name just a few) that I were leaving open.
In procrastinating I was keeping the "tabs" open. The longer they were kept open the more exhausted I was finding myself.
I also realized by reinforcing that I was "tired" I was going to continue dreading the tasks for the day.
Being tired and avoiding the things important to me were choices I was making.
The truth was that I apparently wasn't all that tired and exhausted. This was proven because even though I was "tired" I had a great run. I kept a quick pace and went 40 minutes instead of the initial 15 I had planned.
Next time you are avoiding meal prep, exercise, any important task....
Remind yourself that it is taking more energy to avoid it, to put it off and not be your best self than it is to actually get it done.
Sure, you might be tired, sore, frustrated....But
Its going to be hard to do it...its also going to be hard to not do it.
Which choice do you want to make? It's ALWAYS a choice.
Not doing the thing you know in your heart and soul are important will ALWAYS be harder than trying to gather the energy and motivation to do it.
The guilt and shame that comes with putting aside what is important doesn't go away easily.
Anyway, my hope is that this is a reminder that not matter how far along in your journey you are (health and fitness has been my life for 20 years) that there will be days that come with difficulties and mental battles. You wont always want to do the run, workout, meal prep, etc.
But its what you do most of the time that defines you and your progress.
So when it gets tough this week at some point, continue to reinforce who you want to be, what you're trying to achieve and the moment you expect it to be easy is the moment that you get caught slipping and ultimately make it harder on yourself.
Hope this was useful.
Enjoy your week.
