Can Having Limited Choices Actually Be Beneficial?

Finding ways to maintain our health under COVID-19 is more important now than ever.

Doing so will help us bring some “normal” into the abnormal situation we’re all experiencing.

But for many of us, our “go-to” health practices have been upended.

Prior to coronavirus I typically would come home from work and then go to the gym for a workout. On a nice day, I might go outside (and hopefully “see you on the trail”) during a run. I counted on these tools to help me navigate daily life. After all, we are creatures of habits, right?

Now that the gyms have shut down, and Spring isn’t cooperating, I am limited to exercising inside my house.

Here is what I have noticed since I’ve made the switch: In the last couple days I have managed to ride my bicycle on a trainer, utilize YouTube videos for yoga, and find time to sit and meditate. I have to admit, this activity surprised me!

(It has also brought much more meaning to the term mindfulness, when it comes to recognizing how much I touch my face with my hands.

Ironically prior to Covid, I would sometimes struggle to find motivation to work out despite having multiple options to choose from. Similarly, I may have had my favorite brand of toilet paper too. Perhaps I would have gone to several stores until I found it. But you know, right now any brand of toilet paper will do.

So my conclusion has been that having limited choices is not such a bad thing. In fact, having fewer choices may allow our mind the space it needs to free itself up. To feel lighter, and to focus on what matters.

So if you are struggling to adapt your health journey to the current situation, don’t let it become an excuse to stop. Because here is the thing about excuses; there is an endless number of them.