Let's kick convenience to the curb
Firstly, this is not a blog about removing things that make our lives easier, such as washing machines or dishwashers.
I am asking you to consider what little bits of convenience you can change or remove that your body and mind could potentially thank you for.
Modern life has us busy - too busy, if I am honest. Every last second is “supposed” to be maximised, meaning we are rushing, squeezing every last inch of productivity out of ourselves (and possibly others), not noticing what our body is telling us or our mind.
While reading the rest of this blog, remember this sentence: the body craves movement, and the mind craves stillness.
We see convenience advertised positively – from food options to parking spaces.
While some time-saving measures are helpful and do not compromise our health and well-being, we should consider avoiding some.
Ways to kick convenience to the curb in day-to-day life
Food, from breakfast to lunch and dinner, is a hot topic. If you want to delve deeper into this, I recommend reading Ultra-Processed People by Dr Chris van Tulleken (my review for this is on my website). I get it – some days are so busy that you are spinning plates.
Can those ready-made pizzas (or whatever else lurking) be replaced with something your body will benefit from?
There are so many quick, healthy meals that can be turned around in 20 minutes (personal favourite cookbooks are Healthy Made Simple by Ella Mills and Joyfull by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty) or even food delivery companies that bring the ingredients to your door (no names mentioned on purpose!)
When out and about, could you park a little further away to give your body some more movement?
Are you meeting a friend for coffee and a chat? If so, could you make it a coffee-to-go meeting and chat while you walk?
The benefits of being out in nature are massive (see my review on 52 Ways to Walk by Anabelle Streets on my website).
Could you walk more instead of driving? This is not always possible – which I do understand.
I am sure there are many other ways to eliminate convenience—these are just some suggestions to get you thinking.
Working from home - ways to kick out convenience
Working from home or hybrid working is a great way to get less convenient.
I would start by saying that you should not let your commute be from your bedroom to your kitchen or office. If you can, get out before your working day begins.
Give yourself a 15-30 minute walk at the start and end of your day, as well as a dynamic lunch break– so eat your lunch and go for a walk (the benefits of this are huge, from more movement but also helping to flatten your glucose curve after eating.
Please see my review of Glucose Revolution by Jessica Inchaupse). Factor in regular breaks (see my free ergonomics guide here); if you have a meeting, can you do this on the move or stand for some/all of it?
Working in the office - ways to kick out convenience
Why not park in a space far from the office?
This will facilitate more movement at the start and end of your day. I also encourage you to take a dynamic lunch break (See above for more details).
Send your printing to a printer further away, and if you can, take the stairs (if your office has them).
Factor in regular breaks (see my free ergonomics guide here), and why not suggest movement meetings? These are becoming more popular — your meeting can be a more productive walk!
Your mind and convenience
How can you create still moments in your day to sit with your mind and let it flow in peace?
A busy mind thinking about work, family commitments, your shopping list, your bills, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., robs us of so much peace and keeps our nervous system alert.
Meditation is a remarkable discipline to try to instil into your day. Many fantastic guided meditations are available for free on various platforms.
I meditate for 10 minutes every morning, which helps me set my day up.
An interesting observation I recently made was with the food shop. I would be out on a Saturday morning doing the food shop, which totalled about 2-3 hours being out.
This was a great way to get lots of steps in going to this shop for certain things and another for others.
However, what I was not facilitating was allowing my mind to rest after working hard all week. I was keeping conveniently physically busy to avoid letting my mind take centre stage.
Now, I have embraced online food shopping and delivery (yay to convenience here), which means my Saturday mornings are full of extended meditation, yoga practice, gardening (where the weather allows), making granola for the week ahead (if you’d like the recipe, let me know), and a slow family morning—all things my mind and body are grateful for.
Think and ask yourself, how can you kick the convenience of being so busy to the curb?
Any books or companies mentioned are done so WITHOUT endorsement or sponsorship.
Emily Coombes
Registered Osteopath (7416)