Tag: #takethedayoff

The Pressure to Always Be On

There’s this pressure, spoken or not, to always be doing the most when it comes to your health. Show up to the gym, eat clean, get your steps in, drink the water, take the supplements, regulate your blood sugar, balance your hormones, sleep well, repeat. And when you’re doing it all for weeks or months, it starts to feel like you should be used to it by now. That it should come naturally. That if you’re tired, it must be something you’re doing wrong.

But here’s the truth: sometimes, trying to do everything right is just plain exhausting.

Especially when your body is already working against you.

When the Baseline Is Already Hard

Living with PCOS means that no matter how well I eat or how consistently I move, my body still throws curveballs. Chronic fatigue makes even simple tasks feel like they’re being done underwater some days. And I know I’m not the only one. So many people are dealing with invisible conditions. Autoimmune disorders. Mental health struggles. Endocrine issues. Chronic pain. It’s not just about doing the work. It’s about doing the work while your body resists every step.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just carrying more than most people see.

The Perfection Trap

There’s a lie that creeps in when you’re trying to get healthy, that if you just stay consistent, you’ll feel better and better and better. And maybe that’s true for some people. But for those of us with long-term health struggles, it’s rarely that linear.

Sometimes, the most consistent thing you can do is rest.

And I don’t mean that in a cute, wellness-influencer kind of way. I mean that when your body is shot and your brain is foggy and everything hurts, it’s okay to take the day off. It’s okay to nap instead of lift. It’s okay to eat the thing. It’s okay to just exist.

You are not required to earn your rest.

Grace Over Guilt

One of the hardest parts of living with chronic health issues is the guilt that sneaks in. You know what to do. You’ve done it before. And yet today, you can’t. So you beat yourself up. You feel like a failure.

Stop.

Give yourself some grace. Real, honest grace. Not the kind where you “rest” and then punish yourself with two extra workouts later. Not the kind where you eat a snack and then spend hours trying to undo it.

The kind of grace that says, “I trust myself enough to know that taking care of me looks different every day.”

The Watchful Eyes (and the Hypocrisy)

There’s another layer to all this that no one really prepares you for. The spectators. Once people know you’re working on your health, it’s like they’re waiting for you to slip up. You mention you’re doing keto, and suddenly everyone’s a nutritionist. You eat one non-keto thing and it’s, “I thought you weren’t eating that anymore?”

Meanwhile, these same people are drinking soda for breakfast and haven’t had a vegetable in three days. But sure, let’s judge the girl with PCOS for eating a granola bar.

Here’s what I’ve learned. Most of the people who point fingers aren’t actually doing the work themselves. They just feel more comfortable when you’re struggling because it lets them off the hook.

Let them talk. Let them side-eye. Let them whisper. You don’t owe anyone perfection.

You’re allowed to change your mind, shift your plan, take breaks, and figure it out as you go. You are allowed to do what works for you. Because in the end, their opinions won’t get you through the hard days. You will.

It’s Not a Linear Path

Some days will be full of momentum and motivation. You’ll hit your macros, lift heavy, and feel like you’re making progress. And then there will be days where just getting out of bed takes everything you’ve got. That’s not failure. That’s life with a body that doesn’t always cooperate.

Health isn’t a straight line. It’s not a before and after photo. It’s a thousand tiny choices made over time, layered with rest, setbacks, and reminders that your worth has never been tied to your productivity.

So if today is one of the hard ones, you’re allowed to rest. You’re allowed to feel tired. You’re allowed to not be okay.

And you’re still on the path.

xoxo
-S