We’ve all been there. One moment your life feels relatively in control, you are your own goals and you’re doing the things you said you would. Working out, eating healthy, sleeping for a decent amount of time. The next moment you are barely getting 5 hours of sleep, your responsibilities are mounting and like me, you’ve shelved your health goals for other more pressing objectives. In my case, I was studying. During the most stressful time, I was studying for 14 hours a day, sleeping for about 5 and eating a great deal of takeout. This was very different from the person who was consistently running in the morning, doing strength workouts in the evenings and having protein shakes while enjoying 5 daily portions of fruit & vegetables. It was during this time that I discovered my three golden rules of ‘managing’ myself so that I can bounce back swiftly after these stressful episodes.
1. During the stressful period: Do what you can when you can
If you don’t have the time or the energy to do you usual 10km run or solid 45-minute WOD, do something manageable. Don’t fall into the trap of doing nothing at all. What helped me keep active and sane was taking walks on a daily basis, even if they were short walks in the neighbourhood. It may not feel as blood pumping as a run or a strength workout but it gets the body moving and calms the mind. It is still a win. If you can’t do an hour long yoga session, opt for a 15 minute one instead. The consistency of a daily practice will make it much easier when you’re trying to increase the intensity.
2. After the stressful period: Start slowly and gently
After my exam, I made the unfortunate mistake of assuming overfamiliarity with the Tsepiso who used to run daily. I put on my shoes and went to do hill sprints in the fresh air. 10 minutes later, I was coughing up what felt like venom. I had successfully sabotaged myself into a coughing fit and during a pandemic, you’re not getting sympathy looks from other runners. It was the worst my chest had ever felt. It took me straight back to my asthma days in grade 4. Needless to say, I’d learned my lesson. I brought out my yoga mat and decided to challenge myself to doing daily yoga practices in the morning and running/strength training sporadically in the evenings when I felt capacitated. The yoga practices became a daily habit, with the help of my favourite Youtube channel, Yoga With Adriene. I’m committing to moving slow and steady because i) I don’t want to cough out my lungs ever again and ii) in order for my bounce back to be sustainable, I cannot overwhelm myself with unnecessary timeline pressure.
3. In General: Be kind and patient with yourself
If you’re lucky, you’re going to be hanging out in this same body until you’re about 80. That’s a really long time to be steering a ship. If you’re luckier, the wear and tear will be minimal. It may not be shiny and strong forever, but the body will function well enough to allow you to enjoy most of the 80 years. Don’t add any torture by giving your body frequent and unnecessary shocks, often done as a way of punishing it for our own inactivity. What do you hope to achieve in doing so? That you didn’t achieve the first 10 times you started a strict regiment on the first of the month? Kindness and patience, especially when it comes to your body, are a better strategy in the long run. I learned to move past my self-anger during my exam period and accept that I cannot prioritise all the things all the time. In doing so, I cut myself some slack. Yes, I gained a few kilos during exam season, that’s not a bad thing. Yes, I am slower, can’t squat as deeply and haven’t had a protein smoothie in weeks. It’s okay. I am here now and I’ll build up all of my forts again. That’s the beauty of the body, it allows you to rebuild again and again and again. You’re in this for the long haul, falling off the wagon and bouncing back on is part of the journey.
