I am currently having Physio for my ongoing back and hip issues, and after seeing him last week we discussed the art of pulling back ie, knowing when enough is enough, and knowing when to stop exercising. He stressed that it doesn’t mean giving up, it just means that you have started to listen.
It was a good chat for me, because my physical self has been feeling much better and I have a habit of doing too much or pushing through even if there is a small voice quietly telling me maybe not today. I would be thinking just one more thing today, I’ll just keep going for now, or it’ll be fine. Sometimes it is fine, but sometimes by ignoring that voice it isn’t, and then everything becomes difficult …
Again!!!
It is, of course, a habit we learn, and we become very good at pushing through. We push through tiredness, discomfort, busy schedules and so on, because the habit is about us feeling like we should, because we don’t want to let anyone down and at least we are being productive. The problem is this becomes exhausting.
So what did my Physio mean by pulling back? Well for me, he was talking about learning when my body had done enough, and
responding to how I felt:
- stopping before I reach exhaustion
- doing a little less, rather than everything
- taking a break without guilt
- saying not today or not all of it today
- adjusting my expectations
Pulling back is about making a conscious choice … and it doesn’t mean failure.
I think with everything, whether it be physical or mental, the body’s response is often the first clue as physical signs
will be things like tightness and stiffness, tiredness and fatigue, lethargy and lack of motivation, or a reduction in energy. It will be a feeling that something just isn’t quite right — with movement the encouragement is to move within a range that feels supportive and not forced. If we push too far we aren’t necessarily building strength but building tension, and life works in a very similar way.
Pushing through will build stress, physically and mentally, because our
nervous system will stay on high alert, and we will feel overwhelmed more easily. The knock-on effect is that recovery then becomes harder, so we achieve less by pushing through than we would if we pulled back.
When we learn to pull back we will preserve energy, give ourselves space to recover, feel calmer, and life becomes more sustainable. It isn’t about doing less overall, it’s about learning to do what is appropriate for where you are right
now.
So pulling back is learning to recognise when enough is enough:
- enough effort
- enough movement
- enough for today
We are good at knowing when to start, less good at knowing when to stop, the real skill is stopping before we become completely depleted.
It is not a weakness to say that is enough for me today, it’s a building of an awareness about what will serve you best, and an act of
kindness.
My challenge to you this week — as it is my challenge — is to understand where you might be pushing through, and when you need to pull back. Is your body giving you any signs? Listen to that inner voice that is telling you that this is enough today. Remember that pulling back now might allow you to keep going more sustainably later.
The strongest thing to do is not to push through, but to listen
sooner.
Have a lovely week everyone — keep moving, looking, and feeling good … and listen to your inner voice that might be telling you that this is enough today.
With love and support,
Jane xxx
