Writing from my “apocalypse bunker” I took a break from the “being good” and enjoyed five minutes of eating a lovely piece of chocolate cake with caramelised popcorn that I’d bought in honour of Fathers Day in Australia.
It was washed down with a beautiful Victorian Pinot Noir and followed a roast lamb dinner that I had made by myself for the first time.
That’s my win for the day. I didn’t realise how much hovering in the kitchen is required to ensure a meat is well done. Google had not prepared me for that. But I rallied, survived and no one died. In fact, the parents seemed rather happy.
Now onto today’s question, ahem, how are you caring for your mind?
Well, I keep a loosely structured routine. My days begin with yoga and meditation. I plan for the standard eight hours sleep and on most days achieve it. I write in this journal, and engage in strategy games that allow me to escape the world.
I suppose I take care by actively engaging and focusing on little projects that I need to do. The fact that my Apple Watch encourages me to breathe every now and again also helps.
I have always found an organised mind help stimulates the light over the dark..
Today’s question is How can you treat yourselftoday?
Well, today marks a week into the 100 Day Challenge my brother set for us both. Our goal is to shed the COVID calories in anticipation of summer, Christmas and a less severe state of play.
The challenge is simple, burn more calories than we consume. I’m averaging 700-900 calories a day with 90min of moderate exercise. And the result… I’m down 1.5kg from last weekend!
HIMYM – Barney was the king of self high-fives
As I’ve said before consistency is key and it is my greatest nemesis. Having to relocate to my parents under Rule 3 (compassionate care) I’m more accountable, as there are eyes everywhere. I mean even the dogs judge me when I move to close to the biscuit tin or if he sees me hovering around the popcorn at 10am.
But perseverance and consistency has shown its dividends.
So to congratulate myself, I decided to put a little method into the madness this weekend. It started with tacos for lunch. Anyone who knows me understands my love for those crispy corn chip shells, and chipotle salsa with sweet corn and avocado thrown atop.
It was the best decision and tasted amazing. I’m salivating at the memories of nine hours ago. To make the experience more delicious, I stayed within my calorie count for the day,
Today’s food log… ahem… two fried eggs on one toast for breakfast, washed down with tea. Coke Zero and two tacos for lunch. Ending the day with an omelette and cup of vegetables.
I fixed mums dinner same time as my own and sighed when she chose she was going to have her Asian prawns only. So as I was dishing up, I placed a cup of vegetables onto her plate.
She looked at me and said “Oh, do I have to eat the vegetables”. I mean who is the parent here. She reluctantly took one mouthful, ate half her prawns, fell asleep and the plate remains abandoned on the kitchen worktop waiting for tomorrow.
Tomorrow, is when the real reward comes, and yes, it is going to be a high calorie day. As it’s Fathers Day I will be cooking roast lamb with the trimmings for my parents. I don’t usually cook for them because my mother controls the kitchen, and we respect each others territory. But as she’s been unwell she has relinquished her power.
I seriously can’t wait. I haven’t had a proper Sunday roast in forever. Mostly because I’m single, lazy and cook for one. But it’s nice to do something for other people and making my parents happy is always a great treat.
What’s something that’s not your fault, but IS your responsibility?
I work as a complaint and resolution specialist so pretty much every negative experience that comes across my desk becomes my responsibility.
We’re all players in the game. We all have our roles and responsibilities. It takes a village, right. So if something crashes and burns, are we not all as accountable as the person behind the wheel?
Say something.
Tracking food
The next phase in my #nerdfitness journey is keeping an eye on my food intake. So today was
6:30am – Yogurt & Juice
8:30am – Coffee
10:30am – Popcorn
12pm – two eggs on one toast
5:30pm – three fishfingers and a cup of pea/corn veg
7pm – cup of tea
Made it in under the calorie count. Not as hungry as I thought I would be. We’ll see when breakfast rolls around again.
I also closed all the rings on my Apple Watch #winning
What would happen if you took a second to breathe and think?
Better decisions would be made, To smell the roses, is to embrace the world around them, Consider the thorns, the fields, the sky above, the aroma. Taking a second to breathe and think puts a thought into context. And when it is context, we can consider and analyse more holistically. Thus better decisions can be made.
By breathing and thinking we allow the voice in our heads to be heard. We should listen to them, they speak our own unique truth that only we are privy too. I’m not saying the voice is always right but they do give us the opportunity to consider, challenge and grow.
What’s one thing you can do today to make tomorrow easier?
To be fair my life is pretty easy as it is. COVID life has left me living and breathing within the same four walls. I leave the house to go for a walk and that’s about it.
One thing I do everyday is a simple Yoga routine. It loosens the muscles, and reduces the stiffness when I’m sitting in the office chair. It gives me time to breathe and gain focus on the day ahead. It releases the tensions and also makes my body feel alive.
Going to bed and then waking up with that ‘alive’ feeling definitely makes the tomorrows easier.
I have recently started reading Jess Elstrom’s Chasing the Bright Side. At the end of Chapter 2 readers are encouraged to take a moment and write out the most ridiculous of what my future could hold.
So here goes:
Train my dog to answer the phone (example)
Join the circus and walk a tightrope
Become the worlds leading expert on everything Gilmore Girls
Does getting angry/upset make things better or worse?
I’ve always been a believer in keeping a cool head. Letting your emotions get the best of you only hurts you, no one else. Most of the time when we’re angry or upset, the person behind it doesn’t know, realise or care.
So it only makes it worse for you. The heat building up and the tension headaches or in my case, I cry when I’m angry. It can be consuming and paralysing. It can send you spiralling.
When I am upset or angry I write out the situation on a piece of paper or in a word document. It helps me make sense of my what I am feeling. It also can help in moving forward.
Assuming I can’t do something before even trying to do it. For example, today was a win. I had previously assumed that I could not walk for an hour because I was too unfit and would become too tired. But today, I made myself a deal. I was going to walk the established 45 min circuit around the block, stopping on each corner for a rest / shake out. I assumed it would be to hard and I was wrong. Granted it was a leisurely stroll, but it was done with easily. I mean I got pins and needles in my foot at one point… but a little perseverance got me through.
I think it’s something to consider.
I shouldn’t assume I can’t do something until I’ve tried it.
What can you say YES to today for more opportunity?
“COVID made me fat. So I am going to spend the next 100 days consistently dieting and exercising. Want to join me?”
This is a message I received today and I thought apt to the proposed question. But was my first instinct to say YES… no, it wasn’t. I think my answer was a non-committal depends what you had in mind.
But I am saying yes.
Because that’s what Lady Witchazel (pictured) would do.
The task is easy 1000 or so calories a day and 1-2 hours exercise.
What’s so hard about that?
Consistency.
She is my relentless archenemy.
But like my alter ego, Lady WH, I will not let her defeat me.
#FeelGoodCharlie 