Make room for your mind (adidas – In Balance)

We grind. We push. We work hard. Really, really hard. But in the midst of all the craziness, we need to stop and remember to take care of ourselves – physically, of course, but more importantly, mentally. It’s so easy to forget that health includes your mental well-being, but it’s the foundation for a balanced life.

At the gym, at home, or in the office, we always strive to be our best selves. To continually seek challenges. To do better. This is good – we should never lose sight of it lest we grow complacent, and slow or even undo our progress. But there will be days where you’re not feeling 100%. There will be days when you can’t do as many reps or sets or laps or you can’t run as fast or lift as much. There will be days when you’re exhausted and you’re frustrated with your co-workers and you’re angry with yourself. I’ve been there. We’ve all been there.

The important thing is not to let that get to you.

We need to learn the distinction between when you’re tired but have the capacity to keep going, and when you’re getting diminishing marginal returns with every additional unit of effort you’re putting in. The difference is about your mental space. Take time to meditate and reflect on how you feel. Think about what your environment looks like, what your schedule looks like, what the factors contributing to how you’re feeling are.

Think about what is outside your control, acknowledge it, and then stop thinking about it – it is, after all, outside of your control; nothing you can do will change it. Think about what is within your control. Are you satisfied with it? Are you happy with how you’re spending your time? Are the things you make the effort to do the things that are important to you? If not, what can you do differently and what are you willing to sacrifice in exchange for what you want to gain?

Listen to your body and listen to your mind.

It’s all about finding your balance and therefore, finding your peace. Check in with yourself and ask yourself those questions. Acknowledge how your body feels and what your mind is telling you. Too often, we get caught up and don’t notice ourselves burning out until it’s too late. Push when it’s time to push, but be ok with giving yourself time to rest and recover. That’s when you grow the most.

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This article is a sample of my writing for the adidas “In Balance” blog