If there is one thing the last year taught us is that we are in very little control of what is going on around us. This can be a rather sobering and anxiety-producing realization which no doubt many of us are feeling today.
Whenever feelings like this start to creep in I think it’s important to step back and take stock of what you are in control of and what you are not. This is an ancient stoic practice that has been used for generations as a way to not only relieve anxiety but also to give purpose and direction during times of conflict.
We can’t control the mood the boss is in on Monday. We can’t control the cold that our kid picked up at school last week. We can’t control that there is a pandemic. That we are missing out on quality time and experiences with loved ones. Or opportunities to grow our businesses or resumes.
While there is not much we can control around us, there is something that we can control within us. Our health. Now admittedly, we don’t control a ton with our health either. We can’t control our genetics or the work meeting that goes late and makes us miss our fitness class. But we can control our nutrition.
Most of us eat every day. There is nothing that really gets in the way of that. If we are running late, we grab something to eat on the go. If a meeting goes late, we take a shorter lunch, but we still take a lunch. If traffic was bad on the way home, we are still going to eat dinner, even if it is later than we’d like.
The fact that most of us are guaranteed to eat every day means that we have an opportunity to treat ourselves right and put things in our bodies that contribute to better health. This is an opportunity for some control in our lives.
Discipline yourself in better nutrition. Understand what you put in your body matters and impacts how you feel and how you perform in every task you encounter in a day. Plan to succeed by flooding your pantry with healthy foods that will make it easier for you to make better choices. Especially when you have to make those choices several times a day.
While our diets can be a source of conflict, when we become intentional about improving in this area we gain a sense of control that puts us back in the driver’s seat with our health.
Thanks for reading,
Chris Irvin
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