How Busy is TOO Busy?

If you’re honest, COVID lock-down has probably taught you one of two things about your time management:

1. You value your busy schedule more than you realized and you don’t know how to stay home and not do all the things.
2. Your normal “I don’t have time to work out/clean the house/read a book/ etc.” excuse is a flat-out lie. You just don’t want to work out/clean the house/read a book more than you want to watch the newest trending Netflix show .

In the case of myself, my life as a personal trainer and fitness instructor has kept me effortlessly in shape. But fit does not always equal healthy. What was missing for me was rest! Mental, physical, social, spiritual rest. I neglected my need for sleep, I lived in a state of perpetual soreness, I was disconnected from God, and I was exhausted from trying to be everything to everyone. I was doing a lot of things quickly, but very few things well. If this is you, know this: you CAN take a break! Your body and your mind will thank you. What do you do during said break? Take a bath. Sleep. Pray. Hug your family. UNPLUG. Whatever give you rest.

Now, for some people in this same category, the struggle to keep up is just as real and does NOT include regular exercise. Those with long work days, multiple kids with multiple activities, participation in PTA, HOA, NBA…..ok maybe not NBA but you get the picture. You have a LOT on your plate. You may legitimately not have time to exercise AND get a full night’s rest AND keep up with all of your commitments. For these people, I have a different affirmation: you CAN say “No!” You can cut something out for the sake of your health. Look for things that don’t make you feel appreciated. Or commitments that do not benefit your long term success, or your kids’. Replace these things with healthy habits and time for exercise and make that time just as important as your job. You have to value yourself before you can effectively value anything else.

Then, we have those in category 2. You know what you should do, but you blame your “lack of time” for not doing it. So when we were suddenly granted a LOT of free time you got on your horse and started riding into healthy town right? Maybe not…maybe it wasn’t lack of time that was the issue, it was lack of motivation. So, how do you get motivated? How do you use your time wisely and prioritize your health?

The first thing you have to realize is that healthy habits really don’t take as long as you think. Most people think it will take an hour or more to exercise, when truthfully, you only need about 30 minutes. I bet if you looked at your screen time of scrolling through social media, you’d easily find your 30 minutes (probably more). Shifting just that ONE priority can make a huge difference in your health.

It also doesn’t take any extra time to eat healthier! You can choose a salad or chicken for lunch just as easily as you can choose a burger. You can buy vegetables at the grocery store just as easily as you buy pasta or sweets. Nutrition is entirely about making choices, and not at all about time. Sorry for the tough love, but that’s just the truth.

As far as motivation, there are 2 main tools that you should look for: accountability and mindfulness. Accountability is usually an external source of motivation. It can be a gym buddy, a spouse, a fitbit, a COACH or trainer, or maybe a Facebook group of people with similar goals. Mindfulness, on the other hand, has to be an internal source of motivation. It’s focusing on the satisfaction of a good workout completed, recognizing how you feel after certain meals, and identifying what you value about your life and longevity. This mindfulness practice takes some time to build, but it’s essential for long lasting health.

Your time is one of your most valuable commodities. How you spend it can make or break your quality of life! You’ll likely never get it perfect, but taking a look at your time management and how it relates to your health is worth the effort.