Tidbit Tuesday - The “all-or-nothing” Attitude
Hello,
And welcome to another installment of Tidbit Tuesday where we aim to teach you something new and useful each week!
Today, we wanted to talk about feeling stuck. With some people going back to work and others not sure when they will return still, with flu season not too far off, and still so many unanswered questions about what is to come, it can be pretty easy to feel overwhelmed right now with everything that is happening.
When it comes to your health, Precision Nutrition teaches the aspect of deep health which encompasses 6 areas of our lives. These areas of Deep Health are all important to being happy and living our best lives! The areas of deep health are:
Relational – Being connected and authentic with others. Feeling supported and like you “belong.”
Existential – Feeling a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
Mental – Being alert, focused, competent, and thoughtful. Learning, remembering, and solving problems well.
Physical – Feeling vibrant, energized, and thriving. Performing and functioning well.
Emotional – Experiencing a full range of emotions and expressing them appropriately.
Environmental – Knowing your everyday surroundings support your health and well-being.
When we tend to get stuck somewhere, we often take on this attitude of “all or nothing” and this almost always ends poorly. Taking on too much at once isn’t sustainable, we become overwhelmed quickly or something in life distracts us, we “fall off the wagon” and cheat on our diet or skip a gym day. Before you know it you’re saying “oh well, I’ll start again tomorrow .. or Monday .. or next month timing will be better.” But, looking back, how many times have you “started again”?
It is time to change that mindset from an “ON” or “OFF” switch and start using a DIAL!
More like a volume knob really, you can decide to turn things up or down to a comfortable setting, for you, in this moment.
Precision Nutrition has an alternative method to the all-or-nothing method, known as the dial method, which is more of a “always something” attitude.
It works as if you have a dial for each aspect of your life. Movement, nutrition, sleep, social, stress and environment. Each dial goes from 1 to 10, and you adjust them depending on what you’re ready, willing, and able to do today.
With the dial method you are always giving something into each category, which prevents you from ever “falling off the wagon” again, and again..
Here is a 5 step process by Precision Nutrition on implementing the dial method.
1) Consider areas of life where you would like to change or improve.
2) Ask, “What is the absolute MOST I could do?” That is your 10.
3) Ask, “What is the absolute LEAST?” This is your 1.
4) Use 1 and 10 to fill in the other points on the dial.
5) Refer to your dial when life gets busy, or slows down!
We can always be doing a little bit towards a healthier tomorrow. Even a 10% effort will get you results over time!
So, with this newfound mindset, go and do your best to remain consistent.
Adjust your dial from day to day as you navigate the challenges of life. And allow yourself to be human, enjoy the little things, everything in moderation, and keep climbing that mountain towards the very best version of your whole self!
Happy Adjusting!
Your friend in Health & Fitness,
Coach Sean
