RIP! And it's not what you think
Recreation Induced Pressure (RIP) – Recreation – it is meant to help us cope with daily routine stress. It is a de-stresser. Remember stress will reduce only when we RELAX both body as well as mind. Then, what is the point in stressing on activities and routines that does not allow you to relax. What is the point in doing activities that others / other groups create to engage innocent public without the purpose to relax and recoup. Something to think about. Don’t you agree?
Recreational activities can also be art, content creation, movies, travel, reading, community service and many more. Why choose something that stresses you physically. Sometimes it can lead to injury. If you still stick to recreational activity that is physically demanding, better choice would be to focus on injury prevention, structural changes to lifestyle, structural training method to name a few. Talk to an expert if you are not sure how to start / change.
Consistency – it is your own definition. Few of my friends can go on for decades with a set routine. I admire than. They have both micro and macro habits that enables the routine. Some of my friends do not have any routine at all. To an outsider (not for me), it would appear to be haphazard lifestyle. They have reasons for it. Some reasons for the haphazardness, they can control. Some, out of control. Wisdom comes from learning how to identity those and working on your circle of influence. For example, what you do for recreation, time spent in front of TV, mobile. Choice is yours. Consistency will follow.
Are there days where you want to sleep in and not go out for a walk/jog/exercise? If you feel like that, give yourself an affirmation that your body is working well. Google will have one billion articles that would suggest to break this feeling. I say don’t break it. This is very organic. Your body is working well. But certainly you need understand clues to differentiate between being lethargic, lazy vs a call for resting more. In the next post, I will share more on habit formation and consistent mindset that would also help to reduce RIP.