This week’s challenge is “Taking it down a notch”… inspired by our girl Heather.
The rat race…. puh-lease….. So much to do, so little time to do it in – right? Is what you feel needs to get done so important that you let it affect your health – This week I want you to pay special attention to how you spend your day and what you say to yourself throughout the day… This ties into last week’s challenge on self appreciation which is good – we like building blocks – right? Nothing beats taking it slow and steady…
Are you finding yourself anxious, stressed and tired? Are you not sleeping because of all the things you HAVE to get done… been there, done that – and yes, I understand life is short and we all want to make the most of it, but at what expense? If you are so over-scheduled that it’s affecting your quality of life and your health – trust me, the stress of it all will make your life even shorter…
So yes, most of us have to work 40 hours a week, some 60…. Just because we work does not mean we get to neglect ourselves. I’m sorry but the old saying is true… If we dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow our jobs would continue – yeah there may be a minor hiccup in the process, but honestly – we are all replaceable. However, we are not replaceable to those who truly love and care for us. So take a step back for a minute and look at the big picture… How do you spend your time at work? I use to be glued to my desk, eat through my lunch, come home and be so tired I’d have no energy to do anything else but recover from my day – go to bed and do it all over again – how exhausting, and booooring.
Lately I’ve started getting up about 30 minutes early to get 20 minutes of active meditation in on the elliptical, which is basically forcing myself to focus on that activity alone. Not all the things I should and could be doing, like packing my lunch, getting dressed for work, etc. Half the time I’m still in my PJ’s with my slippers on, but that is ok with me… Try it you’ll like it….Ok – you don’t have to workout in your PJ’s , but you could sit and read, stretch, do a yoga video, whatever it is that you enjoy. Just take some “me” time for yourself it is really a great way to start your day… Next I want you to think about what you do during the day… are you making time for yourself to get your water in, eat your meals, or taking a lunch break… I try to get away from my desk by going to the gym at either 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM – I always feel like a million bucks when I come back and am way more productive… so yes, I still eat at my desk, but that is after I’ve taken some me time… If you need to schedule your breaks, or lunches with yourself during the day DO IT…. Everything else will still be there when you get back – I promise, and you will be re-energized and ready to tackle it.
After work… yes we get home, we are tired – but we do have to eat… this is when planning and pre-preparing your meals comes in handy… Imagine going to the freezer and pulling out a perfectly measured portion of chili, popping it in the microwave and sitting down to eat within literally minutes of getting home… or whipping up a quick stir fry for the family with all your pre-measure bags of chopped meat and veggies ready to go, which of course would go great over some pre-cooked brown rice and an already made salad – woo hoo!! What a great way to start your evening…
And yes afterwards, there is cleaning up, helping the kids with homework, baths, or classes outside of the home you want to participate in, which is all well and good but, leave yourself some quiet time at the end of the day to stop and breath – to reflect on your day, how you felt, what went right, what could have gone better…. Write down things you need to get done the following day and let go of it until then… and most importantly be kind to yourself. There is no need to beat yourself up for what may or may not have happened during the day. Like I said earlier – let’s take it down a notch … Tomorrow is another day – let’s try to enjoy each day as they come…. One at a time…
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