Okay, let’s be honest here. I’ve started this blog post five times trying to think of some deep opening line to share with you and here’s where I’ve landed, quoting Gwen Stefani, “this shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!” Never in a million years would I have imagined that we’d be where we are today with schools closed, entire offices working remotely, restaurants only providing food to go and most importantly, the heart of our community, CrossFit Harpoon, making the difficult decision to also close its doors and do its part to prevent the spread of this nasty virus, COVID-19.
I took a minute the other day to feel sorry for myself (I encourage you to do the same, but, please, only one minute) and then I thought, wait a minute, what’s one of the biggest lessons CrossFit has taught me over the years? To only deal with the things that are in my control and to let go of those things that I can’t control.
Crummy at Double-Unders? Practice them daily. Feeling a little fluffy? Hit pause on the after dinner treats. Feeling run down? Take a rest day. You get the picture. What if for a minute we looked at the situation we’re all in (and by all, I mean the entire world) and turned it on its head. As nuts as these next few weeks, maybe months might be, we look at this time as an opportunity and not an impediment.
What are the things we can control? If you’ve read Ben Bergeron’s book, Chasing Excellence, you know that there are five factors he talks about within our control: training, nutrition, sleep, relationships and mindset. Given that we all go to CFH, I think we can check the training box.
As far as nutrition, some Harpooners have this dialed in, others are working with Coach Conner to learn how to do it better and others, well, that’s another blog post. But the last three – sleep, relationships and mindset – these are the ones that I think could use some attention.
For today, let’s focus on sleep. I have no doubt that even though we aren’t going to the gym each day that we’ll be active in some way, most days. And if we’re all stuck at home, and dining out isn’t really an option, we’ll be making healthy meals for the most part. But what if we make a plan to prioritize getting eight hours of sleep each night? Imagine how refreshed we’ll feel each morning.
A solid night’s sleep will do so much for us: we’ll have more patience with our kids and significant others (lord knows, we’re going to be spending a lot of QT with them), we won’t reach for sugary snacks or caffeinated beverages to get us through the afternoon slump, and best of all, we’ll be ready to attack our H@H workouts! Not to mention reducing stress, inflammation and keeping our minds sharp…the list goes on. Quality sleep can have such an impact on how you tackle the day – it can’t be underestimated.
So I challenge you – over the next few days, think about how you can improve your sleep and sleep habits. Maybe try putting down your device and reading for 20 minutes before you turn the lights out (seriously people, Put. Down. Your. Phone.) Now might be a great time to trial a meditation app, like Calm or Headspace. Before bed is also a great time to stretch or do a few yoga poses – get out the foam roller and give those lats a roll. Whatever it is that you decide to try, pull out a piece of paper, write it down and commit to yourself that you’ll give it a go for two weeks.
Remember we’re all in this together. Let’s share our mini-wins and strengthen the CFH bond in ways we hadn’t even imagined a week ago. But maybe tonight you just want to watch a little Gwen Stefani…
#HarpoonNation