mindset Archives - Balancing It All

May 9, 2022May 9, 2022

How your hobby can change your life

At one point or another, we’ve heard that we should do what we’re passionate about. And for the longest time, I never understood it until recently. I never realized how your hobby can change your life.

A little backstory

I’ve never known what I wanted to do when I grew up. Even in my twenties, I had absolutely no clue. I had the stable 9-5 because that’s what I thought I had to do. I fell into it because I was decent at it and I was scared I wasn’t cut out for anything else. The paycheck was also nice. But at the end of the day, through the raises, promotion, office politics, and burn out, it just didn’t make me happy.

But you know what made me happy? Fitness. That was a constant in my life since 2015 when I decided to run a 5k with zero preparation. Since then, I learned more and got better every year. It wasn’t until 2021 when I decided to take the plunge and start working in the fitness industry.

How your hobby can change your life

What started as a hobby became something I’m pivoting my life towards.

Maybe you’re not looking for your hobby to be your career but I can say with certainty the satisfaction you feel by doing your hobby will spread to other areas of your life. It may not be immediate and you may not even notice it in the moment.

But whenever you take stock of recent months or years, there’s sure to be a positive change that was a result of you working on your craft or hobby.

Take fitness, for example. It not only helped me get physically stronger, it also tests my mental strength, introduced me to amazing friends, improved my public speaking, and gave me the confidence to pivot careers. All these benefits simply because I stuck to what I enjoyed doing even if I was a total beginner and had no idea what I was doing.

Now it’s your turn

You don’t have to make any drastic changes. But consider leaning into something you’ve always wanted to try. Maybe it’s gardening, maybe it’s doing a 5k, or maybe it’s learning how to cook. You may suck at it at first (and that’s OK!) but overtime, you’ll improve and you’ll feel different…better. Maybe your confidence will grow, maybe it’ll open new doors you never thought possible, and maybe you’ll meet people you never would’ve met otherwise.

Give it a shot. What’s your hobby and how has it impacted your life? Share in the comments! I’d love to read about what sparks joy for you.

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April 2, 2022May 11, 2022

Doing the Thing that Makes Us Uncomfortable

There will be times where you’re at crossroads and you have a choice to make. Do you go with the easier option that’s safe and comfortable or do you go in with blind faith and pick the challenging option? I was at that crossroads at the end of January and I had mini-epiphanies that we should be doing the thing that makes us uncomfortable.

I had a goal I wanted to accomplish years ago but because of reasons and excuses, I kept putting it off. With the pandemic, things were starting to line up to make this goal a reality. And even though I know it’s something I really want, I still found ways to talk myself out of it.

What gave me the push to actually follow through was:

1. Telling Other People

Manifesting it into existence, putting it out into the universe, whatever you want to call it, I made it known this is what I wanted to accomplish even if I didn’t 100% believe in myself yet. To be honest, I still don’t. But I put it out there, I let my friends and family know this is what I was going to do. I think the awkwardness I would feel from saying it and not following through was the extra push I needed.

2. Knowing I Wasn’t Doing What I Preached

I am a group fitness trainer at my local F45 Training studio and when our members are at the tail-end of a workout and they’re fatigued, I remind them that in order to grow and get strong, you have to allow yourself to get uncomfortable. As I say those words in class, I kept realizing that I wasn’t living by that. I want to be a role model for others and how could I be if I didn’t live up to what I tell our members?

I Took the Plunge; Now What?

I finally sucked it up and took a MAJOR step towards my goal. Did I have a moment of WTF right before? YES. But I did it and now I feel like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Or maybe I’m in denial. Too early to tell!

But the important thing is that I did it. I took the option that has an unclear outcome. I’m moving forward with blind faith that I’ll be just fine. I picked the option that is challenging but will allow me to grow and get stronger.

How Does This Apply to You and What Do You Do About It?

It’s likely you have something you want to accomplish but you’re not doing it because of reasons you told yourself. Maybe some of these are legitimate reasons and maybe some of them aren’t and you can get those out of the way.

Be honest with yourself and determine what’s legit and what’s an excuse.

Then take a step towards your goal. Doesn’t matter how big or small it is; just take any step beyond what you’ve already done which, if you’re like me, involves a lot of dead-end “research.”

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Then start doing the thing that makes you uncomfortable. If you don’t try, you’ll never know and if you don’t push yourself, you’ll never grow. Remind yourself of that when you start doubting yourself. You’ll want to second-guess yourself and stay in your comfort zone. Unless there’s a real reason, keep moving forward.

December 30, 2021May 11, 2022

3 Things to Remember When You Feel Food Guilt

I think it’s safe to say we’ve all had those moments where we’ve found snacks that are hard to say “no” to and before we know it, half the bowl is gone. Occasionally, we feel ashamed we allowed ourselves to indulge. Though I am better at dealing with it now, I still feel these feelings from time to time. With that, I want to share 3 things to remember when you feel food guilt that have helped me.

3 things to remember when you feel food guilt

That overly-full feeling is temporary

Yes, it’s uncomfortable eating more than you’re used to or eating foods you’re not used to. In the moment, it may seem like that full feeling will never go away. But, trust me: it will. Your body needs to digest food, doesn’t it? Eventually your body will either process it or eliminate it. That full feeling won’t last forever. Let nature and biology do its thing and you’ll feel more normal in a day or so.

Your body will self-regulate

After lots of food, you may notice your weight has gone up. I can understand why it would cause someone to freak out. I’ve felt that way myself; my anxiety creeps up and it’s all I can think about. But if you give your body a couple of days of what it’s used to, you’ll find that your body will settle back to how it was.

A scale weighs your entire body: fat, muscle, bones, water, and yes, the food you consumed. It fluctuates for a number of reasons: undigested food, you retained more water because of higher sodium foods, you hadn’t gone to the bathroom yet, etc.

But if you give yourself some time and go back to your usual habits, you’ll see your body will eventually come back to your maintenance.

You’re only human

Remember, at the end of the day, you’re a human being. Give yourself grace when things don’t pan out the way you wanted them to. Indulging in your favorite snack a bit more than normal will not be the end of the world and it will not mean all the work you’ve put into your fitness and health was for nothing.

I like to remind myself that “it is what it is”. Meaning, it happened, it’s in the past, I can’t do anything about it now, and all I can do is move forward. My food guilt usually comes up in social settings where there’s lots to nibble on. I remind myself that I may have eaten more than I intended to but a) it doesn’t happen often, b) I was making memories with friends, and c) overall, I enjoyed myself. That’s more important to me than anything else.

Final Thoughts

Food is fuel but it’s also more than that. Food is nostalgia, memories, a way to bond with others, and an experience. If feelings of guilt creep up, know that it will pass and you will feel like you again soon. Understand that sometimes things don’t go according to plan, no matter what they are. And when they don’t, accept it, and know that you will be ok at the end of the day.

If you’re feeling any shame, I challenge you to say one kind thing to yourself and post it in the comments below!