During the pandemic I created a very bad habit: I started eating a full chocolate bar every single day. Granted the chocolate bar was low glycemic, and a clean, organic choice as far as chocolate bars go (to be expected by those who know me and have worked with me), and the rest of my healthy habits remained largely intact. But I think we can all agree that, by anyone’s standards, a full chocolate bar every single day for three years is excessive.
Healthy Jaime, you might ask, how did this happen?? Well, it happened like it did for many of us. There was real trauma during the pandemic; many of us dealt with sickness, death, loss of jobs or work stoppages, isolation, overwhelm, stress, and anxiety. And I am grateful for the chocolate that gave me a little bit of joy and comfort during an incredibly difficult time… and even more grateful that there was a healthier version of this vice that didn’t totally do me in. But the pandemic was officially declared ‘over’ in May of this year, and in fact the need for this chocolate bar ended sometime back if I’m honest… and yet the habit continued.
There was a moment however, when I finally realized that I no longer needed an entire chocolate bar every single day to soothe me, and that moment was actually very recent. Because when the pandemic officially ended, the impact of it didn’t; it has been a much slower letting go for many of us, some lingering PTSD, and the in-your-face fact that the world has changed. But while there will never be a back to normal, there can absolutely be a back to balance.
In this moment of awareness, I suddenly realized that I was doing OK. I was emotionally stable, happy even. And it struck me like a lightning bolt how excessive it felt to be eating something that I really didn’t need. Perhaps it should’ve been obvious, but a part of my psyche was still in survival mode…. until I hit a tipping point, a breaking point, a moment of clarity, helped by the realization that three plus years of this daily chocolate bar had finally resulted in some weight gain that my body didn’t want. So I put myself on a 2-week chocolate bar detox. I allowed some of my natural energy that had been relegated to the backseat to gain momentum again. I stepped out of survival mode and back into my life, fully.
I always tell my clients that cravings are your body’s way of telling you that something’s out of balance… and most often, it’s something in your life. And when it’s a primary food (career, relationships, a global pandemic) that you can’t yet change, at least you can choose the healthiest version of what you crave in the meantime. But addressing the cause of your craving is always the most important thing. And when it’s addressed, the craving will dissipate… unless it has become a habit… unless that craving is now a Pavlov’s dog situation. Then you need to address the habit itself head-on. But first, you need awareness.
What small (or big) habits did you pick up during the pandemic, that over a few years has made a negative impact on your health? Just like the small healthy changes I encourage clients to make, which add up to big results over time, so too can the small bad habits aggregate. Maybe it was a shift in physical activity or diet, for many it was drinking. Have you taken the time after the pandemic to assess where you are now, to really take stock, and to consider doing a reset? To look at what has creeped up on you, slowly at first, and then habitually, that may not be serving you any longer? What crutches did you use during the pandemic that you no longer need? Can you ask yourself gently, what part of you is healed, and what part still needs healing? It’s a new world, with new circumstances, different lifestyles, maybe you’re working from home, we’re all a few years older… we need to reassess what balance looks like now. And then, can you let go of what you no longer need? Can you take that first step? Can you step fully into your life again?
And, if you’d like support on the path to resetting your health, I’m here for you.
Email me at jaimesaginor@gmail.com for a consultation.
Photo by Deniz Altindas on Unsplash
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