Overdoing: To Do or Not To Do?

We live in a culture that is “go go go”, where we prioritize doing far more than not doing. Many of us juggle excessive work hours, family and household responsibilities, hobbies, fitness and wellness practice, social lives, errands, appointments, and more. We are often left with little to no down time, and when we do have this down time, we may spend it in ways that are less than ideal for restoring balance and peace back into our lives. This constant rush can be stressful and taxing on our bodies and minds, and due to time constraints we begin to have to pick and choose what we do. Self-care and sleep may be underprioritized, setting us up for burnout.

Think about yourself as a tea kettle: a 100% full tea kettle means you are in a state of optimal health, energy, comfort, peace, happiness, and overall well-being. The less tea you have in the kettle, the less bandwidth you have, which can manifest in irritability, exhaustion, reduced performance, as well as mental and physical health challenges if this continues over time.

If our goal with the “go go go” mentality is to achieve and succeed, but this mentality actually can set us up for failure over the long term, isn’t this entirely counter productive?

Think about what sources in your life are draining your tea kettle, and what sources are helping to fill up your kettle. Consider both external and internal factors. External may be people, situations, and activities, whereas internal may be thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, emotional reactivity, and movement patterns. What changes can you make in your life to ensure you have a full kettle? After all, an empty kettle serves no one!

Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team

Finding Peace & Balance

Last month, we discussed how “overdoing it” is done far too often at the expense of our mental and physical health.

How can we counteract the tendency to overdo in order to find more peace and balance in our lives?

Can we do this while still getting done what we need to do each day, as well as working towards our greater goals? 

Besides completely changing the values of our culture, we can make micro adjustments in our daily lives. One option is re-prioritizing. How can we fill up our kettle so we start each day at 100%? Think about the sources in your life that are draining your kettle, and the sources that are replenishing you. Are there certain people or activities that may be draining your energy, and is there a way to spend less of your time and your energy in these situations? How about activities or people that recharge you? Laughing with loved ones, taking a warm bubble bath, going for a walk in nature, delicious healthy foods…

On a neurological level, activities that are taxing and draining will be fueled by the sympathetic nervous system (e.g. fight or flight), in which our heart rate increases, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline flood our system, and physical and cognitive resources are expended. On the other hand, restorative activities allow the parasympathetic nervous system to take over, which slows the heart rate through chemicals such as acetylcholine, promotes feelings of well-being, and replenishes our resources. We must find a balance between both of these states of our nervous system in order to achieve our goals without burning out. Think about what you might re-prioritize in your life that may help shift the balance towards parasympathetic activation.

Another option other than re-organizing your daily activities is to consider the overall intensity that you put into each activity. Is there a way to embody a sense of calm and ease while you are doing something that you normally consider stressful and draining? We have it drilled into our heads that we should give 110% to everything, which from an energetic balance standpoint is actually impossible! How can we be more easy in our bodies and minds so we don’t drain our physical and cognitive resources as quickly?

Think about an activity that is taxing, either physically, mentally, or both. How about doing chores, such as washing dishes? Are you rushing, gripping objects too hard, and holding extra tension in your body such as hiking your shoulders up to your ears? See if you are able to wash dishes with less effort, more ease, and overall less intensity. You might find it to be a more enjoyable experience.

Next time that you notice you are feeling anxious, rushed, or uncomfortable, think about “resetting” by taking three long, slow breaths, trying to focus entirely on these breaths and nothing else. Then continue on, perhaps noticing that a subtle shift has occurred in your experience. If we are able to drain less tea from our kettle with everything we do, we will never approach a low kettle. The more we can slow down and be more mindful about what we are doing, the more we will be able to do over the long term. This will allow us to perform better in our daily lives and be more present for our loved ones.

Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team

Overdoing: To Do or Not To Do?

We live in a culture that is “go go go”, where we prioritize doing far more than not doing. Many of us juggle excessive work hours, family and household responsibilities, hobbies, fitness and wellness practice, social lives, errands, appointments, and more. We are often left with little to no down time, and when we do have this down time, we may spend it in ways that are less than ideal for restoring balance and peace back into our lives. This constant rush can be stressful and taxing on our bodies and minds, and due to time constraints we begin to have to pick and choose what we do. Self-care and sleep may be underprioritized, setting us up for burnout.

Think about yourself as a tea kettle: a 100% full tea kettle means you are in a state of optimal health, energy, comfort, peace, happiness, and overall well-being. The less tea you have in the kettle, the less bandwidth you have, which can manifest in irritability, exhaustion, reduced performance, as well as mental and physical health challenges if this continues over time.

If our goal with the “go go go” mentality is to achieve and succeed, but this mentality actually can set us up for failure over the long term, isn’t this entirely counter productive?

Think about what sources in your life are draining your tea kettle, and what sources are helping to fill up your kettle. Consider both external and internal factors. External may be people, situations, and activities, whereas internal may be thoughts, beliefs, behaviors, emotional reactivity, and movement patterns. What changes can you make in your life to ensure you have a full kettle? After all, an empty kettle serves no one!

Coming Next Time: Some useful strategies for avoiding “overdoing” based on neuroscience and principles of mindfulness.

Written by Jacob Tyson, DPT - Physical Therapist, Yoga Instructor and The Wellness Station Team