Being present and mindful all the time, Challenges of Athlete Burnout and "Fresh Starts"
Insights and Reflections August '22 Week 2
Being Present and Mindful All The Time
I've always believed that you have to be mindful and present all the time - and if you're not, then you're missing out in life...
I've felt guilty because of that.
But I recently realized that you cannot be present and productive at the same time. You cannot live every moment to the fullest and make sh*t done.
You cannot be "enlightened" and productive at the same time.
Maybe there are some exceptions out there - some spiritual gurus and leaders who are able to achieve this - but for most of us, it doesn't work that way...
It will take you forever to get somewhere if you're driving 40km/h and trying to see and take in every tree you pass by...
To get somewhere, you take the highway, focus on driving and then when you arrive at the destination, you slow down, notice and take in the world around you and be fully present in the moment.
You’ll also appreciate it more when you slow down as you would if you're always going slow all the time.
But of course you have to slow down and live mindfully, if not life will really pass you by...
So in the future I'll try to life my life by analogy:
Sprint and Walk: Run and focus, then walk and relax.
Work and hustle on your craft and focus all of your attention on it. Then slow down, take a break, breathe and enjoy the fruits of my labor!
Challenges of Athlete Burnout
Athlete Burnout can be quite challenging - both physically and psychologically.
It’s difficult because our identity as athletes is partly tied to our physical body and health: when we are not physically well and fit, we do not just suffer physically - we also suffer personally.
It's hard for me to admit, but in the last period I've been struggling to get back in shape and working out consistently.
A month or so ago I experienced a mini burnout episode and I've been feeling like I'm back to square one.
I've been an athlete my whole life and part of my identity is wrapped up into my physical body, fitness and working out.
I want to feel good, have the energy to workout and feel strong in the gym, but I can't currently, which is very painful...
But as painful and challenging as the burnout might be, it's also an opportunity for us to grow and to evolve: to love, accept and appreciate ourselves unconditionally despite not being able to use our body the way we would like to.
It's not going to be easy, but the obstacle is the way!
Forza e coraggio!
Do You Need A Fresh Start?
I recently watched a video from famous YouTuber Matt D’Avella where he talked about how something called “fresh start” changed his and his wife’s lifes for the better.
At the time of watching the video, I was on a mini weekend vacation on the coast of Croatia and the idea of a “fresh start” resonated with me a lot.
In the video, Matt explains that when we’re feeling stuck not making progress and nothing we’ve tried has helped out of the hole, maybe we need a fresh start:
that could be something simple - a vacation or holiday, work session in a different caffe, choosing a calendar date for a reset and fresh start -
or something radical - quit your job, move to a new apartment or new city, or in Matt's case moving half-way across the world from LA to Australia.
For me personally, that weekend vacation served as a kind of reset and fresh start. After coming home and going back to my old routine and work, I was stunned to realize how much just a couple of days off to slow down, recharge, reframe things and put them into context means for my health and wellbeing.
So if you’ve been feeling stuck and nothing from your regular practices has helped you get over it, maybe you need some kind of fresh start.
That’s it for this week’s “Weekly Insights” , I hope you found it interesting and insightful!
See you again very soon!