Why Consistency is Not Always Key
Hi there,
This month I want to do some debunking of a common myth in the wellness, exercise, and fitness world. The idea that “consistency is key” and other similar phrases you might have heard before. As usual, this idea came to me from my own personal thoughts and feelings from the past few weeks so let’s hop into storytime.
If you are in the northern hemisphere you might also be experiencing a shift in your mood, energy levels, and pace of your day now that we have gone through another turn of the seasonal calendar into Spring. The extra sunshine, warmer temperature, and seeing nature come back into bloom has been bringing me a lot of new energy and excitement.
So I have been experimenting with trying out some early morning classes to boost my mornings and get me going. This has meant shifting my wake-up time to three hours earlier than usual and increasing my physical energy output by quite a bit. After the first few mornings, I realized I had been holding off on talking about this new challenge I had set for myself with other people in my life or online with my yoga peeps 🐥.
I got the chance to dig into why I was feeling vulnerable and shy about sharing and I thought it would be helpful to share some insights I found.
I think the main emotion that was coming up was fear of judgment and allowing other people’s opinions to impact my confidence in the decision to try out something new.
Circling back to the original myth debunking, there was fear around these changes attached to
Taking the time to experiment with new classes
Trying and maybe failing at new things
Setting up expectations for how long I am going to have the energy or motivation to keep this wake-up schedule going
Spending money on passes for classes I might not use up all the way
And honestly, I was worried people would think I was crazy for trying out something so different from my usual routine.
All of these were popping up around the main worry, “Can I stick with this and stay consistent?”
Then I remembered, that this is an experiment, I get to change, and so do my routines. 🤯
While I love the stability that comes from a great sleep routine, meal prepping, or gym regimen, I don’t love the pressure that comes from trying to always show up the same way every day for them to “count”.
Can we let that 💩 go?
✨ Why Consistency is not always “Key”✨
To be human is to be in a constant state of change. We aren’t meant to be the same day to day, week to week, or year to year. Growth requires us to find flexibility in order to move through change. This can be changes in our thoughts or perceptions or it could be outward changes in what we are doing and how we show up in the world. If we are holding on too tightly to our routines, our beliefs, or our ideas we risk blocking out all the expansion that change can bring ✨
Our needs, wants, and abilities do not stay consistent. If you were to think back to what your top priorities in your life were 10 years ago vs now how many of those priorities still exist? How many have shifted? If you were to think about what your main wants and needs are this week vs last week, chances are there will be some amount of difference as well. We can’t be beholden to all the pressure of those past expectations.
Our bodies do not stay consistent. Year to Year, day to day our bodies are changing and when we are planning what movement, food, or sleep habits are going to be most supportive to us we need to take this into account. What energy level or physical ability you have isn’t something that will always stay consistent. Also, if you are someone who menstruates- your hormone and energy levels are going to be vastly different depending on what day of your cycle you are on, so why try and keep the same routine when we know it can’t truly support our needs?
When you hold to rigid expectations it becomes really easy to feel like you have failed and hard to find any room for small moments of success. Check-in with some of the made-up rules you might have in your head about what you “should” be doing, what “counts”, or what means you “didn’t actually do the thing” the “right” way. Then remember- you or someone else made those rules up. You get to choose to keep them or toss them!
Consistency does not invite room for curiosity or playfulness. Who doesn’t want to have more variety and play in their lives? Life is hard enough as it is, so wherever you can, take the pressure off, explore your options, stay open to your curiosity, and embrace imperfection.
I hope that you can embrace the Spring spirit and change your mind!
If the weather can change through all 4 seasons in one day then so can you. 💜
I wish you all the space to make mistakes, strike out on new adventures, and experiment with the routines you have in your life right now.
I challenge you to question where you could find more flexibility mentally and physically around the rules you have set for yourself.
Now go forth and experiment! 🧪 🧫 🔬
I’ve been having some fun doing more videos over in social media land. Be sure to follow @thegratitudepractice so you don’t miss out.
Studio & Class News for the Month
Here’s what I have going on at the studio this month for you to stop in and enjoy.
Partner Yoga & Thai Massage: April. 13th 10:00 am -12:00 pm (offered In-person & online)
Bring your partner or friend to come enjoy some Thai massage and partner stretching. This is a relaxing and fun class to explore partner yoga movements and give your partner the gift of massage. This is a free/donation-based event you can sign up here.
Online Couples Communication Course: April 15th- May 20th
A 6-week course with weekly live calls for support as you work your way through 7 learning modules. This course will give you and your partner the tools and skills to communicate with one another that you wish you had from the very beginning of your relationship. You will learn how to build intimacy and move forward in your relationships from a place of connection, compassion, and clarity. You can get more information about the course here.
All Bodies Yoga Class: May. 4th 10:00 am-11:00 am
This class is designed to be a safe space for all to come and enjoy some yoga movement. Perfect for beginners or anyone who doesn’t feel like they fit the “yoga body” norm. -Yoga is for Every Body and everybody. Sign up on the Mindbody app or reach out if you want help scheduling this class yourself.
Untangling Relationships Podcast Update
There have been 6 new podcast episodes put out since my last email to you! This means you have a lot of options for things to listen to, new things to learn, and fun conversations to join.
Here’s what you might have missed
Ep. 27- Can Love Last? Predictors of Divorce Explored Through ‘Married at First Sight’
Ep. 28- Navigating Love and Conflict: An Analysis of Intimate Conversations
Ep. 29- Trustworthiness vs. Trust: Crafting Unbreakable Bonds in Love
Ep 30- The Emotional Bank Account
Ep. 31- Reflecting on What Couple’s Skills We Love
Ep 32- Overcoming Criticism & Defensiveness in Conversations
You can check out all the new episodes on Spotify here. Or search for Untangling Relationships in any podcasting app or website you use.
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