Embracing Less in the Season of More

Santa Jenn and ChanElf

With the busy holiday season coming up, and the weather encouraging us to cozy up at home, this time of year can be a quiet one around the gym. If you find yourself having less time and energy to keep up with your training or movement practices, you’re not alone!

I found that not maintaining my training schedule when I’m tired/busy/run down would make me really hard on myself—and not even in a way that pushed me to do it and feel better. This would kick off what I call the “parade of things to feel shitty about.” I felt bad because I was too overloaded to fit in my workout, and then I felt bad because it was going to throw off my whole week/month/life, and then I felt bad because I didn’t plan my time more effectively, and then I felt bad because if I couldn’t fit it in while I work in a gosh-darn GYM, then how could I encourage others? And on and on it goes.

What has worked for me and my clients is embracing the idea of doing LESS. I mean, if it’s likely that you’re going to do less anyway, why not do it on purpose?

Our ideas about how much we can do and how hard we can push ourselves are so capitalist and impossible. No other living thing on the planet lives in a state of perpetual “productivity”—plants and animals all have cycles of rest and recovery, so why not you?

This doesn’t mean I want you to give up on taking care of yourself! Moving your body will help you feel good, sleep better, and manage stress. But freeing yourself from “all or nothing” thinking will help you reap the benefits of exercise without having to worry about not getting an hour-long workout or whatever your “optimal” situation is.

Helpful ways to do less:

–What’s the minimum amount of exercise time each day/week that you could do and feel okay about it? Make it easy! Set the bar low enough that it would feel dorky to NOT do it, and then if you do any more than that, cool! But it you only do that minimum, you get to check that box and give yourself a high-five!

–What’s your plan B/C/D? If something comes up in work or life and you can’t make it to that fitness class, what will you do instead? Maybe a YouTube class, or a brisk walk? Planning for the times when things don’t go as planned gives you a feeling of control and autonomy.

–Choose the stuff you love to do in the tough times. Sure, sometimes we push into our less-beloved exercises and modalities in order to improve certain aspects of our fitness. But what if you just spent a couple weeks doing the stuff that feels good/easy/fun? Maybe your chill yoga routine isn’t the ideal workout on its own for your whole life, but it’s just fine for right now. Maybe a few lazy laps in the pool and a half hour in the hot tub is just what your body and soul needs this week. What if you just had a five minute dance party every afternoon to your favourite song to shake off the responsibilities crowding your brain?

It’s supposed to be the season of kindness and goodwill, so give yourself the gift of self-compassion this year while still making a little time for the things that help your body and mind feel their best! For example, my goal for this holiday season is do some easy mobility workouts at home during my time off. I’m going to do three of those workouts a week for a minimum of fifteen minutes (if I feel like doing more, I can, but it’s not necessary!).

What will your “less” be? I’d love to hear your plan!

Coach Jenn