If you've been around for a little bit (or watched my last youtube video), you'd know that I don't count calories or go on diets. However, this is 100% what I did when I started getting healthy. Here's what changed and why these don't work. (Remember to consult your doctor before changing your eating and fitness habits).
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In celebration of the start of our Thanksgiving break (and me not being sick and actually getting to take a break), let's talk about it!
Alright all of my lovely high school/college/graduate/PhD students, this one's for you.
Thanksgiving is a tease. You have most of the week off, try to ignore your assignments as much as possible, and it's a little taste of winter break. Then, you get back to school and your educators are winding down their units and finals are hanging over your head. Between the regular assignments, final projects, and tests it feels like break is never actually coming. It's you vs. the end of the semester and I want you to win! Here are my tips and tricks for these last few weeks of school:
It's 6:05am by the time that I'm sitting down to write this. My alarm went off at 5:45am, and I promptly went to go make some coffee.
The first big decision of my day is choosing which coffee mug I'm going to use. It sounds a little nuts, but it determines my mood for the day. My Allen Bros or Bloomsbury mug starts me off on a productive day, whereas one of my Harry Potter mugs starts me off on something I can describe only as a "believer" day--one where fun is the priority rather than being in "business mode." I never purposely intend on choosing one mug or the other, it's a feeling that I get, and I grab the mug I'm gravitating toward. Today I was feeling a pull toward my Hufflepuff mug, so I grabbed it from the shelf, filled it with some cashew milk, poured the steaming coffee into it, and took it outside with me while I listened to a podcast. I was only outside for about 5 minutes before I was prompted to go back inside and write down what I was thinking, and rather than putting it on Facebook, I thought I'd quickly hash out something for the blog--a new series I'm calling "MiniPosts" (when I suddenly have an idea and don't care about mistakes or there not being a flow to the piece). In High School, I was put into Hufflepuff house, and if you know the Harry Potter franchise, you know that there's a stigma surrounding the yellow-and-black clad house. They're kind of the "others" and despite efforts by authors, celebrities, and hardcore fans, the house is still ridiculed by those who know the universe. I obviously identified as a Hufflepuff for a fair amount of time--as I got the mug in 2016 and Pottermore sorted me in 2012. So what happened in the last couple of years? I decided to break away from the house only recently, even though it doesn't feel that way. My reasoning for doing so was because I didn't feel kind enough, patient enough, or fair enough to belong in the house. Upon retaking the quiz, I was placed into Ravenclaw, and attached myself to it after considering, "Of course I identify with a new house, people grow and change in college so why wouldn't I value intelligence and creativity more than friendliness? People suck. I don't want to be the goofy and trusting Hufflepuff." However, every time I think of the riddles you have to answer to get into the tower, I know for a fact that I'd just have to wait around for someone who can actually figure it out to come by and let me in. This is all theoretical of course and comes from a fantasy world, but the mug provoked a thought that I can't let go of: Why wouldn't I want to be kind, dedicated, value hard work, be patient, and fair? What happened in the last couple of years that made me lose those traits, not want to implement them into my life, or not appreciate them? I have become a lot harder and a lot less trusting as a person, and while I value creativity, wit, and intelligence, I need to re-introduce those Hufflepuff traits into my life in order to be a more happy and positive person. There's always going to be people that laugh at you or discourage you to act weird, be silly, and enjoy life because they're so caught up with their own image and fitting in the box. Hufflepuffs aren't purely weird and goofy, rather, they are kind and hardworking individuals that we can all gain a little inspiration from. Why not be a little more of a Hufflepuff? As you'll come to find, I am absolutely an advocate for self care. In some cases, this might mean going to the gym and swimming for cardio rather than running, or it might be going to a yoga class. It could look like taking a bath or a shower, cleaning your living space, or reading a book. In other cases, it could be cooking a meal, singing out of key to your favorite songs, or eating some pizza with some friends. Regardless of what it is that you do for a self care day, if you feel you need it, do it.
This week I've been sick with a really wonderful nasal/throat/achey cold. Not to mention, I'm still in a weird transitional place between summer and school (which happens almost every year and causes a month-long funk). There are certain foods I eat and things I do when I'm sick that I don't partake in on a regular basis. These have always helped me with recovering from a cold or flu. That being said, here's how this week went when it came to self care: Usually when I'm sick, I'm knocked down for at least a day and just stay in bed and recover. This time, I wanted to try and push through by going to classes and the gym. On Monday, I went to class despite not feeling fantastic, and then went to the gym after for a light workout. I walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill, worked my core, then did an upper body workout using half the weight I normally would. The next day, I went to class again, felt awful because of the heat, and went home to do some laundry and chores, watched a movie, and promptly quit at trying to do anything other than staying at home, watching Parks and Rec, and (joyfully) making dinner for me and my boyfriend. Wednesday, I knew that I needed my "sick day off" to recover and re-charge. My alarm had been going off at 6:30am because that's when I've been wanting to get up and start my day, but my body just wasn't able to do it. So, I turned the alarm off and slept until noon (which I haven't done since early high school probably), then went to dinner with the Lutheran Campus Ministry group and ate mac n cheese and bread without any guilt. When I'm sick, I usually completely listen to my body so that I can take care of it. This includes having a couple of carb-heavy meals, resting for a full day, and accepting that I'm being told to rest. This time, however, I was more frustrated by the fact that I couldn't go to the morning pilates class like I had wanted, didn't feel like eating the fresh vegetables in my refrigerator, and tried pushing through my regular days because I wanted to do better than last week. Instead of listening right away, I ended up prolonging my sickness by not doing what my body was telling me it needed, and ended up in yet another funk. Self care can come in many different forms, and listening to your body and what it truly needs is one of the main ways to engage in self care. Today, I'm planning on eating some carbonara made by my fantastic boyfriend. I will enjoy the food, eat in moderation, and use what I consume to get over this sickness, and prepare myself for a busy Friday and a good workout. Next week, I will not need this kind of food, and I know that if I consume it as I have been, I'll start feeling guilty. Often, when I feel guilty for what I've eaten or am trying to justify it to make myself feel better about the decision, I know that I did not need what I consumed. While I will never recommend having pasta or mac n cheese and the like every single night, I have been listening to my body's needs, and I'm so excited to start new, healthy routines next week as I start logging my food every day, going to morning pilates classes, and participating in a female-only strength training class during the week. This week I've learned: 1) When you're sick, it's your body asking you to take a day off--so take a damn day off. 2) Enjoy everything in moderation. 3) Sometimes we need a reset week and it's ok to fall short of goals, as long as we pick ourselves up and get back on track. I hope you have a happy, healthy, and productive week ahead! |
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June 2020
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