139 How to Do It When You Don’t Feel Like Doing It, Pt. 1 (Motivation, Exercise, Self-Care)
Our cat Bear lying on the sauna blanket that Siena talks about in this episode
One annoying thing about being human is wanting to do something, and at the very same time, NOT wanting to do that exact same thing. On this episode, we mash and hash on the weirdness and frustration of this phenomenon, and discus some unconventional ways we’ve approached and overcome the quirky obstacle.
Here’s a not quite complete list of things we mention:
One of the most important skills to develop is being able to give yourself a command and follow it.
Turn off your brain: don’t even try to be grateful or any of that stuff
You’ll never guess who’s on Toast’s workout playlist. Never.
Motion is emotion: emote through movement
Self-concept: what kind of person are you?
Beauty is proportion: a beautiful life through proportionate brain use
Toast’s Less-Conventional Tips on How to Stay Consistent with Workouts
Treating the movement as a sort of detached meditation: mindful of how I'm moving (structural alignment), and also mindful of my own mindset and perceptions/interpretations of sensations. For example, any perceptions of discomfort, whether physical or mental, tension in the body, and/or the mind, and choosing to perceive it less as discomfort or pain, and more as a neutral sensation.
Having go-to music playlists with deep personal spiritual significance. This is not about fast music, or high energy music. Some of my best workouts were with playlists like these, because they were a way to integrate my self-concept as a human being living within a larger timeline of History.
Dedicating a workout to a cause I care about. Helps integrate exercise with the rest of life. This leverages your energy/feelings around an issue or problem. It’s a way to treat your physical movement as a fuller expression of who you are, including your values, and deep beliefs.
Thinking of myself as someone who gets excited about and looks forward to the next workout. Look at it (I use an app/website), smile, and say to yourself “Hell yeah.”