So, I haven’t typed one of these up in a while mainly due to normal life stressors, such as work and home life, getting in the way. Much like this blog, my training suffered as a result too. Sometimes time constraints were the issue, other times my brain was filled with too many different thoughts to get a real positive session in. Now that things have calmed down a bit I can finally sit down and bust one of these out. And guess what? I’ve got some quick tips for you to handle life’s inevitable challenges, so you don’t lose all the hard work you’ve put in over these last few months – like I did.
1. Prioritizing Self-Care (Self–Awareness)
I know self-care is a buzzword lately and there are a lot of actions one could take and call it self-care. I think the most important thing when someone practices self-care is mindfulness. Being aware of yourself, how you’re feeling and what condition you’re in, is the first step to being able to actually recover and start dealing with things.
2. Nutrition
This one probably doesn’t need to be mentioned but ask anybody who’s gone from a terrible diet to a healthy one and they’ll vouch that the difference is night and day. Hydration falls under here too. Try to drink 250ml for every hour you are awake or 40ml of water per kg of bodyweight if performance is your goal.
3. Sleep
I’ll probably write a stand-alone article on this and how to optimize your sleep but for now I’ll just say, have a consistent bedtime & wake-up time and try sleep through the night.
4. Lean on Others
Friends and family are there to help you. It’s cool to rely on them from time to time to take some of your load off. If you can delegate at work and it’s appropriate, then use that to your advantage too.
5. Embrace it
Yeah, yeah, you’re stressed. However, this will pass, and you have an opportunity to learn a lot about yourself and pick up some valuable skills. If you can make it work now, you can do it again when you inevitably get another curveball thrown at you.
6. Have Fun
It may be difficult to do at first, but there are a lot of ways to do this. Finding time away from your stressors and the gym is important. Go for a walk, see friends…you know, the usual things you like to do on weekends but haven’t done in ages.
7. Just the Meat & Potatoes
Cut your training volume down and focus on goal-specific exercises. Just the meat and potatoes right now, and then build back up when you’re ready. Get in, do the work, get out. No messing around.
8. Boundaries
‘No’ is not a bad word, so know when enough is enough. If you doubt whether you have the capacity to do something right now, you’re better off saying no and getting the rest of your house in order.
