Grace and Space
If you're a perfectionist, mental health struggles like depression or anxiety can take a particularly heavy toll on your health goals. Perfectionism often encourages an “all or nothing” mindset, where anything short of 100% effort can feel like failure. This way of thinking can lead to frustration, self-criticism, self-sabotage and giving up altogether when our mental health suffers a knockback.
So how about a different approach —one that gives you grace and space to adapt while keeping your health journey on track?
I’m talking about finding ways to temporarily adjust your approach when mental health challenges arise. This involves maintaining a “good enough” strategy that allows you to look after yourself without the pressure of perfection and the feeling of failure.
The Double Hit of Perfectionism and Mental Health
When our mental health suffers, the healthy habits we've worked so hard to build can falter. For example, if you are experiencing a depressive episode, you may find it difficult to stick to your usual workout routine, prepare fresh meals, or even focus on self-care. For perfectionists, this can feel like failure, triggering a spiral of guilt, shame and some seriously unkind self-talk. If you’re on a weight loss journey this can feel especially destabilising.
Instead of trying to push through as if nothing has changed, and beating yourself up in the process - acknowledge that your life has its own seasons. During more challenging times, adapting your actions (without abandoning your goals) can help you stay on the right path, albeit at a slower pace, and maintain your progress.
Temporary Adaptations: Easing Off the Accelerator
Adapting your health habits during tough times is not about lowering your standards or giving up. It’s about finding realistic ways to keep moving forward, even at a much slower pace. Think of this as cruising in neutral instead of hitting the brakes.
So, what might that look like?
1. Streamlining Meal Prep
Cooking nutritious meals doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen.
Buy pre-prepped vegetables: Ready-cut vegetables and salad bags can be lifesavers on busy or low-energy days.
Use shortcuts: Go for healthy, quick-cook options like frozen fish fillets or pre-cooked grains.
Batch cooking: On better days, prepare larger portions of soups, stews, or casseroles that can be frozen for later.
2. Simplify Workouts
Instead of trying to stick to your full workout schedule, focus on a scaled back approach that makes consistency more achievable.
Aim for two workouts a week: Reduce your workout days if needed, whether it’s a short strength-based yoga session or a brisk walk, prioritize manageable movement.
Try mini-workouts: Even 10–15 minutes of exercise can make a difference to your mood and energy levels. Sometimes even knowing that you’re going to just need 10 minutes can make it more realistically achievable than feeling overwhelmed at the thought of a whole hour.
3. Prioritise Rest and Recovery
When mental health takes a toll, your body often needs extra rest.
Practice gentle movement: Yoga or stretching can help you feel grounded without overexertion.
Try short meditations: There are many recordings of short meditations, specifically for anxiety, depression and overwhelm that can be really helpful.
Set boundaries: Say no to commitments that drain you and carve out time to recharge. This is particularly relevant in December, when so many of us feel extra pressure to acept all invitaions and social engagements.
Graceful Adaptation
Giving yourself permission to ease up doesn’t mean abandoning your goals. Taking an adaptive approach can give you several benefits:
Reducing mental load: Simplifying your actions minimizes decision fatigue and stress.
Building resilience: Consistency, even at a reduced level, reinforces your habits and keeps you connected to your goals.
Supporting recovery: Balancing self-care with grace allows your mental and physical health to improve over time.
Remember - easing off the accelerator is not about settling for less or giving up. It’s about adjusting your pace for the current situation. The road to health isn’t always smooth, but with flexibility and grace, you can keep moving forward.
What are some ways you can adapt your health habits during challenging times? Feel free to share your ideas!