The Best Way to Effortlessly Keep Your Health on Track
How many times have you had a conversation with yourself about “getting healthy once and for all”? Maybe you’ve shared this goal publicly or it’s just the soundtrack in your head. Either way, the subliminal message there is not simply a desire to improve– it’s a goal of perfection. And guess what? That’s an impossible goal!
I know because I’ve tried–in more areas of my life than just health. (The amount of times I’ve told myself I will hang up all my clothes immediately after I change is comical.) Perfectionist goals lead to guilt, shame, and self depreciation. But the real problem with wanting perfection? It leads to a life of extremes.
You know the routine. Go on vacation, drink all the drinks, eat all the desserts, and return home to a delivery of a juice cleanse kit where you starve yourself for a week to “get back on track.” Some version of this has probably been your experience, and if so, it’s ok. But our body thrives on consistency. It works so hard every day to maintain homeostasis.
Violent swings in any direction send messages of stress and panic to every system in your body, so the absolute best way to maintain your health is to imagine yourself as a pendulum. The goal isn’t for the pendulum to never move–that would be boring. The goal is also not to swing as violently as possible and then tip over. That would be problematic. The goal is a gentle and steady swing back and forth, back and forth.
In practice, this might look like one night of going heavy on desserts and wine but instead of reaching for the muffin you’re craving the next morning, making a nourishing smoothie with ample protein, fiber, and fat. Just doing the next right thing is all you and your body needs.
Understanding that life is never truly “in balance” is liberating emotionally and physically. Nothing in nature stays or should stay exactly the same. You’re not an exception. Allow yourself to swing gently each day. Work hard not to be perfect, but to stay within the bumpers of a bowling lane. Work hard not to topple the pendulum. But, please, let go of being perfect.
XO,
Kara
