Turn the Tables on Pressure

The pursuit of better health is intimidating. 

It should be natural, though. We shouldn’t have to battle media, labels, and big companies and time to just. be. healthier. if we want.

I recently posted a photo of a breakfast that I made on social media. In its simplest form, it was a bowl of oatmeal with berries and seeds. That’s all. However, on instagram, a photo is not just a photo anymore, so I somehow felt obligated to show that oatmeal in a pretty bowl with other coordinated plates around it, sitting in the bright morning sunlight, nestled amongst plants I had in my kitchen. Oatmeal: curated. As much as we might try to keep things real these days, social media demands photo-worthy pics that ultimately just don’t reflect our daily life for the most part. Who would want to see a photo of a boring bowl of beige oats and furthermore, be inspired to eat it for breakfast?

After I posted, it dawned on me that while this photo makes a simple breakfast of oatmeal look appealing, it could also work to create stress and anxiety in making the act of eating healthily seem less doable. However, the positive slant on posting this sort of less-than-average breakfast photo is the hope of appealing to people’s taste buds and encouraging them to want to try this healthy breakfast, hence the attractive setting, beams of morning light and perfect berries.Sometimes when things look too staged, our brains can shut down. Instead of becoming inspired, we can instead become paralyzed with the how and the what, which is quickly followed by a “don’t have time for that” or “there’s no way I can do that”. Grab toast and run, I gotta go.

Social media, as we know all too well these days, can lead to feelings of depression, isolation, and the almighty FOMO, fear of missing out, that the world is moving ahead without you and the grass is greener in someone else’s yard. The images that it bombards us can fill us with pressure and stress; do 10 minutes of wall pilates and you’ll have a toned body, make a beautiful meal in 15 minutes with only three ingredients, and of course, you must have a Christmas tree that is bedecked to compete with one that took five workers three days to decorate. It all looks easy, instant and effortless. But in reality, it is all too mentally exhausting, frustrating, and makes us feel like we are less than we are.

So, what are we to do? 

Breathe.
And take it one step, one day, even one hour if that’s what you need, at a time.

Want to start eating healthier? Take one of those beautifully staged photos and whittle it to its basics. Oatmeal with nuts and berries on top. So what if it’s a cloudy day and the bowl has a chip on the side and you are eating it standing it next to the sink (that has dishes in it, I might add).

Start with one day. It doesn’t have to be the the first of the year, the first of the month, or your birthday. It can be an average Tuesday. Then go to the next day. Then add one more. Same for exercise routines or even a creative project that will make your soul soar and your heart swell. Just jump on it and see where it takes you.

Don’t let yourself be intimidated by the glossy pics and perfect set-ups. Teflon yourself to the stuff you know is hindering instead of helping you. Enjoy them for what they are-little bits of beauty, with possibly a splash of inspiration or motivation. 

Pressure doesn’t belong in that picture.