I am sure I have alluded to how stupidly busy I am lately. I've been in the process of taking my private day home to an agency and going through all the licensing procedures and paper work. Tomorrow (hopefully) I sign my contract and the whole process is finished. Now I am thinking a little about what in my life has suffered because of this extreme amount of busyness and stress. The two things that have suffered the most are sleep and exercise. I can definitely see and feel that I'm not treating my body the way it should be treated, and I'm at a point where I need to do something.
Exercise is the hardest thing for me to get in right now. Aside from walking on a daily basis to take my daughter to school, and the up and down of caring for children and doing chores all day long, my exercise life is virtually non-existent. I went to the gym the weekend before Easter, and I don't see being able to go again in the near future. I am also seriously lacking resolve to exercise at home, even though I have the things I need to get a good work out in. I need someone to come and kick my butt to get me moving. I struggle with the desire to be healthy and active and the desire to actually sit down at the end of the day when my kids go to bed. I am on my feet from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm, and honestly, by the end of that time period, I'm so exhausted I could sleep standing up.
This brings me to my next struggle: sleep. I have an acute inability to go to bed at a reasonable hour, even though I know full well that I have to get up in the morning, and that I'm going to walk around in a sleepy haze most of the day, clutching my coffee cup for dear life. I just can't do it. I feel like I'm going to miss something. From 8:00 pm to midnight is my quiet time for myself, and because my husband usually doesn't get home from work until 10, I don't want to go to sleep. I am one of those people who needs serious sleep in order to feel rested and function properly, and I get 7 hours at best. That is more than enough for lots of people out there, but definitely not for me. I need like 10! Those rare weekends when my husband isn't working and gets up with the kids, I can sleep until noon and I only get out of bed because I feel guilty for sleeping my day away, not because I am ready to get up. Maybe there is something wrong with my body...maybe there is some mysterious nutrient missing that makes it so that I never feel rested, I don't know. All I know is that I rarely feel like I've slept. It kind of stinks.
Do you ever struggle with these things? I know I would be a happier and more balanced person if these two things weren't so out of whack, but I feel like there is some sort of invisible wall blocking my way. Does someone want to try getting inside my head and figure out what makes it so that I do this to myself? It's annoying.
But really, I believe it's important to achieve balance in our lives in order to get the most out of it. I know that because I lack sleep I am more short tempered and grumpy, and I enjoy my day less. I know that because my exercise is sporadic and inconsistent, my body doesn't feel as good as it should, and I have less energy all around. The fact of the matter is that these two things are essential for healthy living and balancing my inner self. I really have to figure out a way to make it happen.
What is out of balance in your life? Are there things that need more attention, and some things that could use a little less?
Sleep is SO key - not enough sleep puts your hormones out of whack too. I've read that sleep BEFORE midnight is best. I've also found that when you find yoursef with bad habits - you just have to force yourself to do what you know you need to for a week and then it'll start coming naturally.
ReplyDeleteAs for my imbaances... definitely emotional eating still! I can eat balanced and healthy for a good stretch and then I'll let stress or cravings get the best of me. I also tend to let a small slip up SNOWBALL big time because I feel like dirt about messing up and I just keep eating in order to bury the guilty - until I feel SO guilty. I also don't drink enough water... but I'm working on it.
I was also out of the workout routine a couple of weeks ago but I switched things up and found something I loved and could work towards.
Oooh.. sign up for a race... then you'll have to train for it. Maybe Jane can ride her bike and you can put Claire in a jogging stroller???
I would so love to do a race, but I've been advised not to run, ever. Maybe something on bike though! I don't have one, but I really, really want to get one, or my rollerblades which I'm just about ready to break out!
ReplyDeleteI struggle with emotional eating still too, especially this last month. With all this stress I just find food so comforting, even against my better judgment. I say to myself, you only want this because you're stressed out, and then I tell myself that I still want it anyway. It's kind of ridiculous. We all struggle with that I think!