Garbage Time 🗑️
Well this is it.
We're officially in it.
It's the garbage time of the year.
No...I don't think the holidays are garbage...but bare with me for a second.
Over the weekend while I was watching football, an announcer referred to the last two minutes of the first half as garbage time. The team that was losing had the ball, only one timeout, and had at least 60 yards to go to even get a field goal in a game they were losing by a lot.
I've been in these situations (not in football) as both a coach and a player. You can't wait for the half to be over so that you can get into the locker room, take a deep breath, and reset.
So you have a choice; run the clock out, or do what you can with the remaining seconds.
That, my friends, is December in a nutshell for most of us.
Our routines get blown up by social events, dance recitals, concerts and travel between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. Many folks are also doing holiday shopping, making cookies if you do that kind of thing, decorating your house, and other things that are fun (hopefully) but interrupt any kind of regular schedule.
We're also worn down by the end of the year. We're tired of thinking about goals. We just want to ride out these last few weeks and then pop our head out of the ground sometime in January and start fresh.
I get it. Really I do.
That desire to kneel on the ball and run the clock out is very human. Also, let's be clear; if that feels like the right decision for you right now then go for it.
Intentionally taking a break and prioritizing rest is focusing on your wellness.
For my clients who struggle with all or nothing thinking, (which is most of us), I like to ask the question:
What's my third option?
If my first option is to stick to my routine, and my second option is to pick up on this process again in the new year, then what's my third option?
Here are a few ideas:
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- Be deliberate about rest and recovery.
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Like I said, taking a break is recovery - but be deliberate about your intentions. Prioritize getting to bed at the same time every night as often as possible.
Find time to relax (I realize if you have kids, this might be an LOL idea...but if you can...great).
Start your day with 1-2 deep breaths. Pause for 1-2 breaths between tasks.
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- Get some movement in every day.
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How many steps are you getting in every day? If it's less than 4,000, can you add 100 steps more? Use the bathroom that's further away in your house. Everything counts.
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- Think of strength training in minutes.
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Elevated push ups while your coffee brews? 10 squats after every email that you send?
The options are endless. The minimum amount of strength training you need to have an impact is 30-60 minutes of week. Think in minutes instead of full workouts.
