My alarm blares. It’s early. Too early, really, considering what time it was when I finally drifted off last night. But, I have my fourth workout of the week to complete, and to miss it would be tantamount to failure. And so the covers are cast off, my dawn stomachache is ignored, and out into the frigid morning I go.
The big (secret) reason I have to be so strict with myself is because I know that at some point, this current rigorous workout/supplement/health regime will come crashing down in a mess of this is too hard and too overwhelming and I can’t be bothered. I understand that adhering to a schedule that doesn’t realistically fit into your life in a manageable way is difficult. But what’s the alternative? Only exercise at the weekend? Hope that the mountain of greens stuffed into my Sunday smoothie is enough to counteract the Dairy Milk I snaffle at my desk each afternoon?
I was on this pendulum for years, swinging from one extreme to the other. For a few months, I would treat the gym like a faithful friend, showing up for it come rain, shine or illness. But when the commitment inevitably became unsustainable, I’d ghost it like a bad first date. During the week, my diet revolved around whatever felt like the quickest and easiest way to satisfy my hunger. Then on Sundays – the only day I felt I had the headspace to devote to wellbeing – I would spend hours meditating, walking and batch cooking nutritious meals, trying (somewhat desperately) to persuade myself that this one day of being virtuous would counteract everything else that week.
If my health was a series of data points, the averages were shocking. My exercise was intense but sporadic and my approach to nutrition oscillated between that of a health-conscious parent and a child let loose in the sharing bag aisle. Because of my desire to do it all (and perfectly), I wasn’t actually doing much at all. What changed? I discovered the “midline theory”.
What is the midline theory?
Essentially, the midline theory is the idea that it’s not about what you do on one day, but what you’re able to do on average over a week, a month, a year or longer. With exercise, that might manifest as three shorter, lower intensity sessions per week instead of one killer workout on a weekend. The same goes for meditating or trying to practise mindfulness. Rather than devoting 20 whole minutes to stillness on a Monday morning, you could try to commit to fitting in a handful of five-minute sessions wherever makes sense in your schedule.
“Consistency signals to our brain that we’re safe and worthy of care, reducing inflammation, boosting our immune system and influencing gene expression,” Dr Lafina Diamandis, lead GP at integrated medical practice Solice explains to me. “It’s not about being perfect – it’s about casting a vote for your wellbeing every day. When we prioritise daily habits like movement, sleep, healthy eating, meditation, or gratitude practices, we’re not just checking boxes on a to-do list – we’re actually priming our brains and bodies to function at their best. It’s not always possible to reduce or eliminate the stress in our lives, but through simple habits we can build better mental and physical resilience against stress,” she adds.
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