Monday, December 31, 2012

Balance

2012 was quite a year.  Filled with wonderful joyous things, and of some not so wonderful.  I'm going to hang onto wonderful and let the crappy stuff go.  I am not going to give the negative rent-free space in my head anymore.  Done.

I have been enjoying a fabulous, restful holiday.  Low-key is the best descriptor.  And as I lay around like a total sloth in yoga pants and my new Bazinga! sweatshirt (thank you Tyler), after many nights of 12 hours of sleep and blissful naps during the day, often while having a bath infused with epsom salts & lavendar essential oils, I have come to an important realization.  I know absolutely nothing about living a balanced life.  I have allowed my life to be a swirling vortex of stress and lack of sleep and enough exercise, cortisol levels through the roof and an autoimmune disease running out of control.  My weight has been creeping up, I'm wound so tight that I could snap like a fiddle string and frankly, I feel like absolute crap all of the time.

Rather hypocritical for someone who writes a blog entitled "fitmom".  Fitmom my ass.  More like "mom falling apart at the seams, with a great career and likely to have a stroke from unmanaged stress".  So.....I am making only one resolution.  To find balance.  I need to balance home and work, rest and work, exercise and sloth.  Spending time in nature, along with time with my family.  My dog needs to be walked.  My children need to be parented.  My husband needs a wife, not just another wage earner.  Friendships need to be nurtured.  I need to keep all of these things in mind as I embark on another year.

Sound good?  With that balance in mind I have decided to commit to a half-hour of exercise in the morning before I get ready for school.  It could be on the treadmill,, weights or yoga, but it will be some kind of activity.  Ten minutes of meditation at some point during the day too--likely in the evening before bed.  Forty minutes out of 24 hours.  Totally doable right?  And then dogwalking whenever possible.

I read yet another "diet" book.  Paleo Solution (I think?....Paleo something) by Robb Wolfe.  Made total sense to me.  Eliminate grains and other crap carbs.  Exactly what I should be doing for my old friend Hashi anyway.  Making all the more sense since I've been eating whatever I feel like over the holidays, and consequently feeling like crappola.  Hubs wants to lose weight too, and has agreed to give it a try.  If I can stringently remain gluten and dairy free, then eliminating other grains/crap carbs shouldn't be too hard, especially if my hubs is on board too.  Which should bring my body into balance.

Not that there haven't been good things going on in the health department, but they could be better with a little more concerted effort by moi.  Sounds like a balanced plan, does it not? Exercise and clean up diet, spend time with loved ones, live a more even life.

Whatever you have resolved for 2013, I wish you a very Happy New Year's.  And a balanced existence.

2 comments:

cargillwitch said...

If you liked Robb Wolf's book make sure to read Mark Sissons stuff. His ideas on over training ( as well as primal/paleo nutrition) resound with me- sounds like it might with you too!He also has a blog called Mark's daily apple, interesting reading.

Tina@thriftingwithcake.blogspot.com said...

You deserve the rest! Good for you and enjoy!

Realistically..what ELSE is there to do this time of the year? it's bleak and gray here. Don't let me forget..cold. I know you know! Should I start exercising more? Perhaps.

Instead I rocked two pieces of carrot cake yesterday whilst yelling "To 2013!"

I'll get back on the wagon soon.

Oh! LOVE Toronto! I was there about 10 years ago, it's a lovely city!

Happy Anniversary, New Year and all else!!