Adapting Without Abandoning Yourself

I celebrated my birthday at the end of May, and birthdays always make me pause and reflect.

They invite us to look back over the year that has passed and ask ourselves a few questions. What has changed? What have I learned? Am I where I thought I would be a year ago?

Sometimes we are so busy moving through life that we forget to notice how far we have actually come. One practice that is often recommended for reflection is journaling. During my health coach studies, we learned about morning pages and reflective writing. I haven’t prioritized it as a daily habit, but I often sit down and write when I need clarity. I find it valuable to pause, reflect, and look back at the road already travelled. As I reflected on the past year, I noticed that life rarely goes according to plan. 

The past few weeks have been busy. Family life has required a great deal of my attention, and I have noticed something that many women will probably recognise when life becomes busy, my own health goals are often the first thing to lose momentum.

Years ago, I would have viewed this as failure. Today, I see it differently. Life is never going to be perfectly organised. There will always be periods when children need us more, when our parents require support (parents getting older or facing sickness), when work becomes demanding, or when unexpected challenges appear. That is not a disruption of life, it is life as it happens.

The question is whether we can adapt without abandoning ourselves.

Research suggests that creating lasting habits can take several months. For that reason, I always encourage people to think long-term when they want to make meaningful changes. Real transformation rarely happens in a few days. It happens through small, repeated actions over time.

When life becomes overwhelming, I have learned that lowering expectations is often wiser than giving up completely.

• A short walk can replace a gym session when time is short.
• Simple meals can replace complicated recipes.
• Batch cooking, pre-cut vegetables, and grocery deliveries can reduce mental load while still supporting good nutrition.
• Five minutes of conscious breathing between daily tasks can create a small moment of calm in a busy day.

I often think of making deposit to my health account. Every nourishing meal, every walk, every good night’s sleep, activity, rest, or recovery are small deposits into our health bank. Some days we can invest more, and less other days. What matters is that we continue making deposits whenever we can. Over time, these small deposits accumulate as long as we remain consistent. They help build strength, resilience, and habits that support us when life becomes challenging. They may not seem significant in the moment, but they still matter, we are shaping our future health.

As mothers, caregivers, partners, daughters, sisters, and professionals, it is easy to place ourselves at the bottom of the list. Yet we all know the advice given onboard airplanes: first put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others. The same principle should apply to our own health. Taking care of ourselves is not selfish. It is what allows us to continue caring for the people we love.

Life is happening now.

• Not when the children are older.
• Not when work becomes less demanding.
• Not when everything finally settles down.

So let me leave you with one simple question:

What small deposit could you make into your health bank today?

• Walk around the block.
• Go to bed a little earlier tonight.
• Prepare a nourishing meal.
• Taking a few deep breaths in between daily tasks. 
• Spending at least ten minutes outdoors.

Whatever it is, start where you are today.

Because every small step you take today is an investment in the health and wellbeing of your future self. If this resonates with you and you would like to get support, please don’t hesitate to reach out, I would love to work with you and help you set goals for your journey.

If you’d like support taking the next step, you can book a free coaching session or take the free Wellness Score assessment to see where you are right now.

With care

Rannveig