How can you build a regular fitness routine? Start out by knowing why you’re doing it. I do it for myself, not for anyone else. Knowing this, I work at what makes me feel good, if it fits my schedule, and if the workout routine adds or detracts from how I feel. This is important. If it makes you feel like you are not ENOUGH, there’s that word again, then it is time to look for something that works for you.
I start slow, no gung ho moves here, meaning being over-zealous. It is easy to get caught up in different workouts because you are motivated but that motivation fizzles out at some point and sometimes quickly, so start slow, take your time, know what works, what makes you feel good, and go from there.
My routine embraces different formats. I do cardio, strength, yoga, and Pilates. Not all at one time but some days I get ambitious and I go for all of it. My body lets me know the next day what I did wrong! Add breathing, walks in nature, eating right, and that about sums up my routine. It works for me. I’m exactly where I need to be, weight-wise, and I feel good. However, I work out seven days a week because a day without workouts is like a day without sunshine for me. That’s me, this doesn’t work for everyone.
Get motivated, stay motivated, add routines that work for you, watch your progress, and most of all DO NOT overdo it. Consistency is the key and knowing what you want to achieve the other. Oh, one more thing, think of working out as doing something good for your body because it’s a temple and you, my friend, are the goddess!
“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first; it means me too.” L.R. Knost
Taking care of yourself should be at the top of your list but it rarely is. We pull ourselves in different directions trying to appease others and we put ourselves where we are barely visible at times. I do. “Me too” is not what I think of when I go about trying to help someone else and often, I forget myself in the process. I forget that I need nurturing too, I need taking care of, and I am important too.
“Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Unknown
Take care of yourself. You can’t be much help to anyone else if all you’re doing is looking to see how you can put yourself out there being the “angel” who is there for the calling, the helping, and one who comes to everyone’s call of distress without thinking about the toll it is taking on your being. I did that three years ago when I came to the aid of a sick friend and I put myself through hell and high water to care for him only to find out that even though it was a good deed, the price you have to pay is a high one as far as your own well-being is concerned. Will I do it again? It is a definite NO!
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
Taking care of your body is a must. You don’t do it to look good for others, it is a necessity to survive in a world where much is needed from you, and if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else is going to do it for you. Do whatever is necessary to put yourself first, take care of yourself first and the rest can follow.
“Take care of yourself. Go for a walk, eat your favorite food, get a haircut, cry if you need to, read a book, take a vacation, have a drink, do what you need to do. Take care of yourself, because at the end of the day you’re all you’ve got.” Unknown
As the year draws to a close, the one resolution that matters for next year is to take care of myself first. I do that religiously, but sometimes I forget when life rolls around with its demands and I forget about “me” in the process and take off to do whatever is necessary for someone else. A helping spirit is a good one but not when it is to the detriment of your own well-being. I’m going to remember that as I move forward into the new year. It is not being selfish, it is called self-preservation.
“When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. It all starts with you.” Unknown
AND
“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” Jane Travis
That last one speaks to the heart of the matter. Removing yourself from the unacceptable can mean many things. Toxic people, things that drain your energy, and people who don’t give two hoots about your well-being. Put them into context, take a long hard look at what you will accept and what you won’t and go from there. Most of all, you MATTER!
Feeling down? Nothing’s going right? You’re in a down phase? The world’s a cruel place? Prince Charming is a no show?
You’re not alone. Give it time, work on yourself but in the meantime here are some tips to pep up your mood and get you soaring again.
MEDITATION
It’s been around for a long long time and it still works today. Just five minutes a day will quiet the mind and send those endorphins spiraling upwards. Try it. Close your eyes, go within. Take a breath, hold for 4 counts and let it out for six. Watch the transformation take place. You’ve got to keep at it to reap the benefits.
NATURE
It is my all-time favorite activity. Nature soothes, nature calms and it teaches how to give those stress hormones a run for the money. Just 10 minutes a day should do it. You’ll come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle anything the world throws your way. A cup of coffee later and I’m raring to go!
GRATITUDE
This is an important mood booster. Never underestimate the power of gratitude. It has the power to change your mindset and to take you from the glass is half empty to the glass is all kinds of full! Try it. Think of three things you are grateful for right now. Not that bad is it?
LAUGHTER
Find something to laugh about everyday. It has been said, laughter is the best medicine. It really is. I watch standup comedies or funny movies to boost my mood and to release stress. Laughter also strengthens the immune system and releases cortisol and adrenaline, two main stress hormones. Chronic stress puts your health at risk so laugh it away. Aim for a dose of laughter each day.
JOURNALING
It is “the practice of regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and reflections.” This is my way of getting my pent up emotions out in the open. Believe me, it’s a miracle worker and once you get them out, you do feel a lot lighter. Write it down, get it out, do the dance and set it free! It’s a definite pep me up!
SMILE
This one comes naturally to me. I smile a lot. Just having a smile on your face tricks your brain into thinking you’re happy and it releases the “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. These are needed in your arsenal to add to your overall well-being. So, SMILE for all you’re worth!
Just a few tips to rev up your mood. These methods work for me and I hope it does for you as well.
“Be so positive that negative people don’t want to be near you.”
I think anything is fun if you enjoy doing it. I love walking and I walk almost everyday and what makes it fun is that I am surrounded by nature which is an added bonus. I am not only getting fit but I find peace and calm while I’m doing it.
Yoga is another go to method of getting fit. I can do this beautiful fitness routine in the privacy of my home and that makes it fun. Chachi, the cat, joins me most days and sometimes doing the Downward Dog pose gets challenging with him running in and out and some days I burst out laughing and we wind up cuddling. I think that was his goal all along. 😉
Cardio and weight training is a must. I say a “must” because in my mind it is. I am a fitness fanatic and I workout seven days a week. I’ve been told to back off and take a break but it goes in one ear and out the other. Workouts keep me energized and those cheesecakes I keep talking about don’t have a chance of adding a pound or two meaning I am where I should be weight-wise but it takes effort and focus to keep it going day in and day out.
I love working out so whatever I do to keep fit is fun and I don’t need props or anything else to make it fun. However, I love having Little Chachi as my trainer or rather he thinks he is. Some days he sits on the bed and watches me and when there is a break, I reach over and plant kisses on his forehead and that is his reward for staying out of my way. He loves it and it makes working out fun.
I would say a lot of things. I look for laughter everyday and it is an effort that I take seriously. It has been said, “laughter is the best medicine,” and I totally agree. A day without laughter in my world is like a day without sunshine. It is tinged with grey and something seems to be sorely lacking.
Seeking laughter is in my daily to-do list. Stand-up comedy is a good source. I love Max Amini and his brand of comedy. He always has me laughing and if that gets boring, I watch comedies which definitely does the trick and puts a sunshiny spin on my mood. Then there is the abundant supply of jokes out there that tickles my funny bone and I have posted some of them here. Not always funny to some but it is to me and that matters.
My most important laughter maker and stress buster is Chachi, the cat, aka Little Einstein. Not a day goes by without laughter from that angle. He doesn’t even have to do anything, just standing there with his front paws crossed has me breaking out in laughter. There is just something about the little guy that brings smiles and laughter in my direction. Perhaps it is called love, the unconditional kind. Whatever it is, I have found my perpetual source of laughter and it is of the happiness kind. He instigates it sometimes unknowingly but it does the trick and most days I wear a smile on my face having indulged in rip-roaring laughter. Laughter is there to be harvested if you just pay attention and decide to give it a chance. Try it, it is a beautiful thing and it gives stress a boot out the door!
I think it has been three weeks since Gallahad and Shiro moved in. They are my son’s cats and since he was starting a new job, he couldn’t have them with him and so with a sad heart, he left them with me. I wasn’t too keen on the idea because I knew how much work they would be plus Chachi, the cat, was used to having this place all to himself. Bringing all three together was a daunting task and lots of work.
It was hard and still is. They are getting used to each other. Gallahad, is a British long-haired cat with dark fur and bright orange eyes. Shiro is all white with big eyes and looks like the cat on the Gourmet Food ads. They are two different personalities. Galli is soft and sweet and even though he looks menacing, he is a gentle giant. Shiri is the princess and she knows it! She was daddy’s little girl and was spoiled rotten. She is also a no-nonsense type and that turned out to be a problem for Chachi, the Little Macho.
Anyway, it has been three weeks in and the “thaw” wasn’t taking place no matter how hard I tried. Chachi had a hissy fit the first week which rolled into the second week. He decided to get along with Galli but Shiro was a different matter altogether. He has started tolerating Galli and lets him play with his stuffed toys but Shiro still gets a hiss whenever he sees her.
However, yesterday he did a 360 and decided to roll out the white flag. Don’t ask me why. It happened and the Little Macho woke up with a glint in his eye as if he had this bright idea. The idea turned out to be, let’s lay down arms and be friends BUT on my terms! Little did he know that the other two had other ideas. No deals were their stance. Sound familiar to what is happening in the real world? Anyway, the morning started out fine.
Chachi: “You can play with my toys Galli,” tail tucked between his legs.
Galli: “I’ve been playing with them. I don’t need your permission for that you little Snort.”
Chachi: “You weren’t brought up well, were you? You have to ask first.”
Galli: “Okay, thank you!”
Just then Shiro walks in and takes a gander at what is going on. Immediately, Little Macho throws down the white flag and goes into a hissy fit. I think he doesn’t like females, yours truly excluded of course.
Shiro: “You sure have a loud hiss for a little thing. I can take you down anytime Little Bubba.”
Chachi: “Who are you calling Little Bubba? By the way, I think you should get some sun. That pale look doesn’t suit you.”
They did the Mexican standoff for a few minutes and then decided to let it go but not before Shiro decided to get the last word in.
Shiro: “You should learn some manners and what’s with the John Wayne swagger? You are way too big for your britches.”
Chachi: “MOM! What did she say?!!”
ME: “She said you are adorable and cute. She wants to be friends.”
Chachi: “Yeah, I am and I know it. Glad that she sees it too. I think she is afraid and wants to make nice. Okay, we’ll try it. Shiro, you can play with my toys too but one false move and I’ll be on you before you can swish that pretty tail of yours!”
Shiro: “Thank you Chachi but keep your distance. You are too full of yourself but I will take you up on the offer.”
She walked over to the toy basket, picked out Chachi’s favorite stuffed bird and walked out with a swish of the tail and an elegant stride out of the room.
Chachi: “Mommy!”
Me: “It’s alright. You’ll get it back. Play nice and make peace.”
Chachi: “I DON’T LIKE HER!”
This went on for a while until Little Macho decided to give in and make friends. Afternoon found all three in the bedroom taking their afternoon siesta. Galli on my bed, Shiro stretched out on the floor and Chachi snoozing next to me.
Peace at last! Will it last? I don’t know but I’m enjoying the temporary ceasefire!
It is the last thing that I learned and the one that I’ve been trying to come to grips with. It is NOT to stress about whatever comes my way. Easier said than done because I love stressing about anything and everything! I’m an overthinker so that doesn’t help matters much either.
Recently I had problems with my car. The question arose if I should trade it in for a new car or repair it and work with what comes my way. Simple enough? Nope. It became one big stress situation that consumed every minute of my day and if that wasn’t enough, I brought in different scenarios to make matters worse. It became a problem that consumed me until I realized that I needed a solution and FAST!
“Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency.” Natalie Goldberg
I learned it the hard way but I did learn. Things got better when I decided to look at the situation without theatrics, without doomsday predictions and without holding my breath in for long periods of time! The solution came when I calmed down. There were really two options, buy another car or get the one I have repaired.
I decided to get it repaired. It was the cheaper option and since I love the car I have, it became the obvious solution. I placed the order for the part required yesterday, it should be there next week and in two weeks I should have my car back, good as new. Fingers and toes crossed!
Easy enough? It could have been if not for the stressing part which took me on a journey that I didn’t want to be on. Once I calmed down and showed “stress” the door, it became easier. Next time when it shows up as it inevitably will, I will take a deep breath and deal with whatever comes my way in a calm and Zen-like fashion.
Update: I’m still taking those small steps forward and I am seeing progress. The journey is ongoing and it seems to be a never-ending one but there are changes taking place. That, in itself, is a good thing.
“You will get there when you are meant to get there and not one moment sooner…so relax, breathe, and be patient.” Mandy Hale
These days ‘relax’ is a word that seems foreign to me. Once, a long time ago, it was the easiest thing to do. I could close my eyes anywhere and go to Nirvana Land at the drop of a coin but not anymore.
What changed? Life did. A divorce, the death of a close friend and life’s curveballs all had me standing at the brink and pulling myself back from staring into the abyss was hard to do but I did.
“At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.” Unknown
I realized that I had the power within me to change what I didn’t like. Pulling myself back up and to keep going was even harder but I had no choice, it had to be done. I started by putting a 17 year marriage where it belonged. It was done and I had to move forward. I had to learn that ‘LOVE’ can and does end and I had no say in the matter. I couldn’t decide for the other person so I worked on the person I knew best. I went deep inside myself and then I heard the whisper and it said, “RELAX.” There was power there that much I knew. I took the steps to go back to what was always home to me. My inner self and to get there I had to learn to relax again. It was not easy, nothing ever is. The first few tries were a disaster. A few minutes was all I could do. It was frustrating but I learned to just breathe. Just simple in and out breathing, nothing fancy. The technique took very little time but I could feel it vibrating within me. I was coming alive again.
“If you don’t like where you are, change it. You’re not a tree.” Unknown
However, life wasn’t done with me yet. There were more lessons to be learned and it would not only test my resolve to do better but it would take me back to square one again. Eight years after my divorce, I would lose someone very dear to me and once again, it felt like the rug was being pulled out from under me. Goodbyes are hard but ‘forever’ goodbyes even more so. The peace I had felt within had disintegrated and now it lay scattered around my feet. I wanted what I couldn’t have but he was gone and I had to go it alone. Nothing I did and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get myself to relax again. It felt like I was climbing walls where there was none to be found. I was back on that cliff and staring into a fog covered distance. Then I heard the whisper and it said, “RELAX. You’ll be fine.”
“Sometimes the smallest step in the right direction ends up being the biggest step of your life. Tip toe if you must, but take the step.” Unknown
I took those small steps because there was no other way. My plan of action was to keep taking those small steps until they turned to bigger steps and I could feel myself flying again. It took time, it took looking back at things I didn’t want to look at, it took discarding what no longer served me and most of all, it took courage to move ahead. I learned to relax. Breathing, meditating, walks, enjoying nature, working out, treating myself and learning to like myself all became a daily routine. I talked myself into loving me and to learn that I AM ENOUGH AS I AM. No, I’m not flying yet but I hope one day I will. I’m still taking those steps to move forward and learning to leave the past behind me. Relaxation is still hard but those few minutes a day have turned into more than 40 minutes a day. I am making progress.
“Don’t seek, don’t search, don’t ask, don’t knock, don’t demand…relax! If you relax, it comes. If you relax, it is there. If you relax, you start vibrating with it.” Osho
“Taking care of yourself doesn’t mean me first; it means me too.” L.R. Knost
Taking care of yourself should be at the top of your list but it rarely is. We pull ourselves in different directions trying to appease others and we put ourselves where we are barely visible at times. I do. “Me too” is not what I think of when I go about trying to help someone else and often, I forget myself in the process. I forget that I need nurturing too, I need taking care of, and I am important too.
“Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Unknown
Take care of yourself. You can’t be much help to anyone else if all you’re doing is looking to see how you can put yourself out there being the “angel” who is there for the calling, the helping, and one who comes to everyone’s call of distress without thinking about the toll it is taking on your being. I did that three years ago when I came to the aid of a sick friend and I put myself through hell and high water to care for him only to find out that even though it was a good deed, the price you have to pay is a high one as far as your own well-being is concerned. Will I do it again? It is a definite NO!
“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.” Jim Rohn
Taking care of your body is a must. You don’t do it to look good for others, it is a necessity to survive in a world where much is needed from you, and if you don’t take care of yourself, no one else is going to do it for you. Do whatever is necessary to put yourself first, take care of yourself first and the rest can follow.
“Take care of yourself. Go for a walk, eat your favorite food, get a haircut, cry if you need to, read a book, take a vacation, have a drink, do what you need to do. Take care of yourself, because at the end of the day you’re all you’ve got.” Unknown
As the year draws to a close, the one resolution that matters for next year is to take care of myself first. I do that religiously, but sometimes I forget when life rolls around with its demands and I forget about “me” in the process and take off to do whatever is necessary for someone else. A helping spirit is a good one but not when it is to the detriment of your own well-being. I’m going to remember that as I move forward into the new year. It is not being selfish, it is called self-preservation.
“When you start taking care of yourself you start feeling better, you start looking better and you start to attract better. It all starts with you.” Unknown
AND
“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” Jane Travis
That last one speaks to the heart of the matter. Removing yourself from the unacceptable can mean many things. Toxic people, things that drain your energy, and people who don’t give two hoots about your well-being. Put them into context, take a long hard look at what you will accept and what you won’t and go from there. Most of all, you MATTER!
I don’t make lists when I go shopping so I often forget things! Recently, I’ve started doing that and I find it is so much easier to get everything without doing several trips!
Fruits are at the top of the list. Right now, I’m into blueberries, raspberries, plums, mangoes, papayas and whatever else is in season. I love fruits so it is a must have on my grocery list.
Vegetables are next. Just about any vegetable is fine with me. Spinach, eggplants, zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower and beans often top the list as well. Salads are another item that is a must have.
Fish is something I can’t do without. I’ve found this new seafood place which offers fresh seafood and it is fantastic. I am a regular there because the local supermarket does not offer the freshness that this store does. They have all kinds of fresh seafood and the prices are reasonable as well. I eat fish at least three times a week so it is a must on my grocery list.
Meat is not that important, although, I do have it once or twice a week. If I do get it, I go for the not so fatty cuts of meat and if it’s pork, I go for the Iberico variety. Expensive but it’s a treat. The pigs are fed on acorns which gives the meat a certain flavor and it is delicious.
The essentials are next on the list. Water, grains, bread, and whatever else that is needed to get the household going. I’m learning not to like grocery shopping but I find that it is a necessity. Can we come up with something where you’ll have to press a button, put in the items needed and it gets delivered? I’m not talking about the home delivery service, this one will be simpler. Press a button and the items show up with no hassles whatsoever!
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