The magic that is moderation

In a world where extremes are becoming the norm, it’s time to go old school and re-introduce the magic that is moderation!

We’re big on moderation, not just because it makes healthy living (and so many other things!) much easier, but also because it means that we have less to think about!

When moderation becomes a habit, you don’t have to spend so much time, effort and worry tracking everything and trying to force balance, it will happen naturally because you’re moderating on the go!

Sure, you had a hectic day at work, have barely moved from your desk and ate pizza for dinner. But that’s cool because you’re going for a run tomorrow morning and have a day filled with activities (yay, activities!). Balance.

Sounds super simple right? In theory yep, but in reality… not so much. The reason is nowadays we need to train ourselves to do it for the first time.

Here’s why...

Thanks to how we now use technology, we have access to almost everything 24/7.

Information, food, entertainment, work, our social circle… not just a little bit of it… an overabundance of it! And it’s not going to run out any time soon.

We can talk to anyone, anywhere, any time. We can watch a whole season of our favourite TV show in one sitting. We know that we can get the food we want from somewhere and we don’t have to worry about if we can afford something because we can After Pay, or tap and go to our heart’s (or stomach’s!) content.

What’s the problem?! Although a lot of that is great, all of the stop points that had been around in the past to regulate our use have been removed. This means we have had to learn to self-regulate real fast.

No more, ‘oh no, that’s the end of the episode. I wonder what will happen next week?’ Now, we’re watching four seasons back-to-back before realising we need to be back in the office in 30 minutes and have no idea where the long weekend went.

And, not just that, we’re consistently being re-directed and encouraged to keep consuming thanks to ads, emails and messages reminding us of what we’re missing out on.

So, that’s the challenge. We have the ability and are being encouraged to over consume, almost everything.

Unfortunately, it’s created a mindset and system where it’s easier to be extreme. We splurge or binge, and then reign it in and create mad restrictions to make up for it.

Rather than finding balance, some people consistently swing between the extremes or opt for one and stick to it for example, over training and under socialising. While some of these more extreme measures may seem healthier for you, they may be adding more stress and unnecessary pressure to your life and health.

What’s the answer… you guessed it! Moderation!! That’s why we need to master this forgotten practice.

4 easy ways to start:

1. Set yourself ‘portion sizes’

Allocate portion sizes for everything… work, exercise, chill time, food and shopping.

Decide on a reasonable time limit for activities (like screen time), set an alarm and stick to it!

As much as you love your job, you also need to limit the number of hours you work each day. Plus, working longer hours doesn't necessarily make you any more productive. Even though you might think it does, it really doesn’t. By taking time away from work to experience other things you give yourself the headspace to actually make you more effective!

If you get lots done outside of regular hours, pick a couple of times a week to start early or finish late so it doesn't become a daily thing. If you work best in a more 'blended' fashion, make sure that you're investing enough time into each aspect of your life.

Another obvious example is a reasonable portion size for food, by dishing out into servings. Pack any leftovers out into separate portioned containers. This means you get leftovers for lunch (yum!) or if you decide to eat more, you're actually making a conscious decision to do so, rather than having an "oops" moment as your hand hits the empty bottom of a bag (...as we have experienced a number of times before