Taking care of me

Now that I am doing the whole solo thing, i.e. being single, I have resolved to start taking better care of myself. This is all kinds of good because I don't even enjoy being sad and tired all the time.

In order to be better and feel better I have started doing a lot of different things and knowing me only some of them will stick but for now we will say here's to wellness and I'll toast that with a nice mug of herbal tea.

First of all I have stopped eating refined sugar. Obviously I knew it had yet again become a major problem but with the help of xtc oil and a bit of added willpower I have now gone a full week without eating any sugar and no cravings whatsoever which is a little bit miraculous. I have also stopped eating bread. This a wonderful change because it makes my stomach look and feel horrible. I have gone a week and a half without any wheat and my stomach already looks a bit smaller. I have had a few days where I have come close to buying bread out of hunger but I have stopped myself at the last minute. I think its good to feel better both outside and in. I feel proud of myself for abstaining from both of my major temptations and I am also a bit excited at the possibility that I might actually lose some of the weight I have been lugging around if I keep this up.

The second thing is that I am back training. Crossfit for life, bitches or something to that effect. Now I have felt ill or dizzy at some point during every class so far (given what I had been eating the last while, this is to be expected) but I have been feeling great after and bar the first class ( I have been to four since my return last week) I haven't had major muscle pain. I feel good, full of endorphins and stronger and craving protein rich foods so all good developments. I am determined to join a good gym once I have moved to Kilkenny so that I am able to keep up the good work and possibly meet some like minded people.

Third is that I have just started doing morning pages again. For those of you not familiar, this is a creativity exercise from the book 'The Artists way' and it encourages you to write 1-2 A4 pages first thing in the morning but you write down the thoughts as they come into your head. I am using this to manage my anxiety. I have only done two days so far but I am finding it a good way to sort through my thoughts. As someone with anxiety they can crowd me and it can be hard to focus on what's going on. 

Fourth is that I have just restarted a gratitude journal. To have a gratitude journal, all you need is a notebook and everyday you right down three things you are grateful for. This is really good practice because it forces you to focus on the positive things in your life and stops you from becoming swallowed up by the bad days. I can always use a little help in remaining positive.

Lastly I have started using Instagram stories. It allows you to share pictures with text or emojis or short videos with anyone following your account. They disappear after 24 hours so in a way its similar to snapchat. I have just started it for fun but it's like the blog in how it allows me to share snippets of my life but it also reframes your day because you are looking at things through the lens of what you can take from this moment that's worth sharing. 
As part of this I bought a lightbox in Penneys today. They have one in my gym and I thought it would be lovely to have one of my own, be prepared to see plenty of it on my instagram. 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The darker side of romance

Image
  For some reason I felt compelled to write about a corner of my past that hasn't been part of my blog before. a heads up to anyone who might be upset by this topic I will be delving into emotional abuse so feel free to stop reading now if you don't feel able to carry on. When I was in my late 20's I met a guy on a night out. He was a few years younger than me and honestly looking back threw up a couple of red flags early but I didn't trust my own intuition plus I was only a few months away from finishing college and planned to move to Edinburgh in a few months so it wasn't like it was going to be anything more than a brief fling. However as time went on I became more infatuated with him, there was an intensity there and he seemed sweet but damaged. Like a perfect modern fairytale I thought I would be the one to fix him. somehow plans changed and he was going to follow me over to Edinburgh, get a job there and we were going to live happily ever after. at this point
Read more

Help, I think I'm autistic

Image
 So I, at the age of 41, have come to the realization that I am autistic.  Growing up I always had a feeling something about me was a little bit off. I never quite fit in and I wasn't sure why. It was like everyone had been given a book of rules of how to exist in society but no one had thought to hand me a copy. Looking back with hindsight the signs were there. I was a super sensitive kid, a sensitivity I have not lost in adulthood, I cried very easily and felt every emotion very deeply. I was a picky eater and very particular about the textures of different food. I was very sensitive to light and noise and the feel of different fabrics. I was never a hugger. all of these things are as true about me now as they were when I was younger. I am socially awkward, I don't make friends that easily and will joke I am an acquired taste. Eye contact is something I have to actively work on and small talk feels like torture.  I thrive on alone time, I am incredibly sensitive to the moods
Read more

Sometimes I open my mouth and my mother comes out ..

Image
I have been told on more than one occasion that I'm sarcastic. Often that I'm too sarcastic (as though there could be such a thing) and I have retort up my sleeve for such occasions which is if you think I'm sarcastic you should meet my mother. No, really you should because my sarcasm is but a pale imitation of hers. Every so often though I come out without something that makes my friends or other family members pause because sometimes when I open my mouth, my mother comes out.  It's funny how people always take the words you are turning into your mother as such an insult because the reality of the matter is it's a both a good and bad thing. Obviously there are certain qualities I am perfectly happy to emulate and others not so much and on the whole I am not entirely sure how much control I have over it. It's not quite a pick and mix counter here. I think there are some habits you are not even aware you have picked up until someone else kindly points it out.
Read more