Life Happens
Back in early March I was killing it in the gym if I do say so myself. I had a set workout schedule, had access to the best equipment, and was able to do almost any type of workout my heart desired. I even had a secure, solid daily life routine going as well. Then something called quarantine happened, and all of a sudden this comfortable routine was thrown out the window. I went back to Texas for a while, bought some dumbbells, and adjusted to the situation I found myself in so that I could remain active to the best of my ability, and attempt to maintain some normalcy. Months of working out in my garage or on my balcony went by and I powered through even when I didn’t want to. August rolled around and I found myself able to workout somewhat normally again, and my routine was reestablished. I was back. Until something else happened in my life, Hurricane Sally. Things got shut down again, and I was back on the streets for my workouts for a couple days. Also didn’t have power, but that’s another story. Hear me out, there are much more pressing issues in the affected areas than having gym access right now, I know this. Although these bigger, life threatening issues are occurring following this disaster, that doesn’t mean we can’t miss our normal routine. For me, a big part of my routine is going to the gym and having control over the food I eat.
I’ve talked before about obsessing over getting a workout in and not letting myself rest, but that is not what I experienced during either of these situations. It’s the fact that something that makes me feel so good about myself and serves as my stress reliever wasn’t readily available to me during highly stressful times. I have found that my mental health really takes a toll during times like this. There is so much sadness and uncertainty in the world and within my community that it’s hard to really think about anything else when my mind is at rest. Everyone copes differently, and my personal form of coping is by working out. It also helps me distract myself and get my mind off of such heavy and intense situations for just a little while. When the way you handle hard times is taken away, it can often make these times even harder.
There are times to go hard and push it to the limit, but there’s also a time to slow down and take care of yourself and those around you. I have found these are times for the latter. Staying physically active and working out with the equipment I do have is important for me to stay sane, but it’s not everything. It’s vital that we give ourselves grace during difficult times (such as a hurricane, or a global pandemic). Our physical appearance is the least interesting thing we can offer this world. Experiences like these often lead us to have decreased motivation or drive to work hard or grind, and I believe that is perfectly fine. Your 100% may look different from day to day, and that’s simply human nature. We won’t always be able to show up with the same level of energy, but we can offer 100% of the person we are on any given day. That inner motivation and killer instinct will return eventually.
I don’t have too much to say on this, I just felt it was important that I shared how I have been affected by the recent situations surrounding me. Life is happening to all of us, and we are all handling it differently. Whatever you’re going through either personally, within your community, or even globally, know that your individual feelings are valid. Don’t suppress your mental health just because the problems of the world seem more important than yours. It’s perfectly fine to take care of yourself and tend to your mental health before trying to spread yourself thin and fix everything/everyone around you.