Written by Emily Carlson

“I’ll resume my fitness program and healthy eating after vacation…….after the kids go back to school……..after things settle down at work……..after the holidays……. and the list goes on and on.

How many times have you told yourself the above and paused and restarted your fitness and nutrition journey over and over again. If there is one area where, as a nutrition coach, I see the most all or nothing mentality at its’ ugliest, it is in the above statements.

If we pause taking care of ourselves each and every time life throws a challenge our way, interrupts our routines, or takes away Ohio State football (who would have ever thought that would happen) we could almost certainly count on never reaching our health and wellness goals. It is one step forward, two steps back at its’ finest.

If 2020 has proved one thing to all of us, it’s that life doesn’t pause so we can work on our fitness, nutrition and wellness with no stress, the stars aligned, and unicorns and rainbows at every turn. If anything, this year has shown that you better prioritize taking care of yourself because life’s challenges aren’t pausing for anyone.

So when life throws grenades, how in the heck am I supposed to deal? Let me introduce to you the “dial method” courtesy of Precision Nutrition. Instead of “all or nothing” this method helps you strive for “always something”. Broken down into six categories (movement, nutrition, sleep, social, stress, and environment), use the infographic below to adjust your “life dial”.