Whole-of-Life Challenge
Replies
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December 2018
Goal 1: A 30 km run.
Goal 2: 2 blog posts.
Goal 3: Complete 4 week Metabolomics course.
Goal 4: Handstands/stretching daily.
Goal 5: Draw daily.
Goal 6: Duolingo Greek study daily.
Goal 7: Continue my 10 months alcohol-free.
Dec 02 Carman’s Women’s Half Marathon.
Koine or modern?
0 -
Sometimes I get a sense in the challenge threads that people are struggling to get by by only managing one aspect of progress in their lives.
Other times, I see familiar faces in multiple threads, and feel there are a lot of us trying to thrive overall.
It’s good to work on making small changes one day at a time.
I’ve found that small changes in one area can lead to changes in many things over time.
Let’s discuss how we’re working on:
Relaxation
Exercise
Alcohol usage
Creativity
Home
Work
Eating in moderation
Learning
Life!
REACHWELL!
Hmm ... well ...
Let’s discuss how we’re working on:
Relaxation: haven't done much of that in the past year
Exercise: building up again
Alcohol usage: haven't touched it since about April 2018 ... rarely drank before that
Creativity: been playing with photography in the past week ... not much of that over the past year
Home:
Work: doing more and more
Eating in moderation: not bad, could be better and will be
Learning: I did 4 Master's level uni courses this past year
Life!
Home and life ... yes, well ... of course most of my focus has been on my husband.
Relaxation: had a really nice holiday from Christmas to early in Jan. That was lovely, but I could have done with the whole month of January!
Dealing with Stress: not well.
Exercise: a bit of a setback in Feb with injuries.
Eating in moderation: have cut back a bit lately, hoping for some weight loss.
Alcohol usage: haven't touched it since about April 2018 ... rarely drank before that.
Creativity: no more of that for a while.
Work: doing more and more ... and more and more.
Learning: I did 4 Master's level uni courses this past year and have started another one this semester.
Home and life ... yes, well ... of course most of my focus has been on my husband.
My days look like this:
Up and off to work. My husband walks to the bus with me.
Work
Appointments for me
Work
Appointments for my husband
Work
Uni
Work
Errands
Work
Sometime later I get home and then it's a bit of a walk, housework, homework, and trying to chip my way through my long, long Things To Do list.
1 -
A little more explanation.It took me a while to come up with some fitness/exercise goals for 2019 because my goals were all shattered last year when my husband had a bad accident in March. But here it is!!
Half marathon in January ... Done!!
Gradually build up cycling distance ticking off milestone distances along the way. The goal behind this is to build a solid base for further long distances and events in 2020.
50 km
75 km
100 km
125 km
160 km (100 miles)
Get back to climbing 20+ flights of stairs at least 4 days each week. I work in a 10-storey building, and can climb 10 flights in the morning, and 10 flights in the afternoon ... plus extras if I want.
Walk (or run or hike ... basically move by foot) more than last year.
These are my walking/running/hiking totals for the past few years ... so ... more than 1357.1 km in 2019 would be good. I would add more running event goals, but I'll have to wait and see what happens with my back and hip.- 2018 - 1357.1 km
- 2017 - 1302.52 km
- 2016 - 1133.02 km
- 2015 - 1131.7 km
And build some upper body & core strength + improving flexibility.
I would really like to get on a rowing machine this winter ... I think I'm just going to have to break down and buy one!
As for the other things ...
Work: is a bit of a priority right now because as of the end of November, and opportunity for a bit of advancement came up. Not that I'm moving into a new position, but that I have the opportunity to learn and do a lot more in the area I wanted to learn and do.
Uni: is a continued priority because I finally feel like I'm closing in on my Master's degree. I've been taking one course per semester (including some spring/summer courses) since Feb 2015 and have completed 10 of the 16 courses to get that degree. Along the way I've completed a Grad Certificate (4 courses), and a Grad Diploma (another 4 courses) and the first 2 official Master's Courses. I'm in my 11th course now, so the count down is on. It's been a dream of mine to get a Master's degree since I was in high school.
Home & Life: this is all about my husband's brain injury, and it takes up quite a bit of my time. I am possibly a bit too much like a "mother bear" and I am trying to let go a bit, but then something happens and the mother bear appears again. Anyway, this means I attend all important appointments with him and the first appointments of ongoing issues (like when he goes to physio - I go to the first appointment with a new physio, then he goes to the rest on his own), so it can be rather time consuming.
I'm also trying to organise paperwork. That's probably the simplest way to describe a rather overwhelming task. I've taken over everything my husband did plus I'm trying to get on top of all the paperwork things I've been meaning to do for about the last decade.
Fitness: we're long distance cyclists and are active members in our long distance cycling club. Sometimes the "work" there eases up a bit for a few weeks, and then we have a flurry of activity.
And of course, along with this are the fitness goals above as we move back into long distance cycling after a disastrous last 3/4 of 2018.
Recreation: All the things that fall into recreation (stress relief, creativity, taking time for myself, etc.) are backburner things. Things I squeeze into my schedule if I've got an extra 10 minutes somewhere.2 -
I've read all the latest posts, and gained insight from them. Thank you.
Had two terrible nights sleep earlier in the week and was struggling a lot at work. Felt like people were demanding every minute of my time and I had too many responsibilities outside of work.
At 5:30 am I went for an angry, 80-minute run and thought of logical kick-*kitten* ways to reduce a lot of time spent on administration, and implemented them when I got back.
This helped not just me but also others to have a limit set now on what we feel we can do.
I made it through the day without needing any sort of medication or self-medication, and only realised this when it was all over and it hadn't even occurred to me to use any. Nearly 400 days alcohol-free. Not even any caffeine for over 4 months.
Instead of freaking out with anxiety I'd been proactive.
Proud of myself for not pulling out of any volunteer responsibilities completely, since I'm proud of what I'm involved in.
Thursday 28 February I realised I'd rather use the money I've saved for flights and accommodation (to do a marathon in April) on a faster computer for myself.
This will improve my quality of life immensely and reduce a lot of frustrations.
I also decided to build a stronger 30 km run base rather than max out my resources for 2 months yet again on a marathon that would mean my glute/piriformis pain would worsen just when it's been a lot better.
This will mean regular, consistent running to look forward to and enjoy.
Feeling like I've actually won a marathon now!
Relaxation - need more!
Exercise - zen
Alcohol usage - Day 395 AF
Creativity - drawing a bit every day; done some things I'm very happy with
Home - not reacting emotionally in return when addressed vehemently has reduced disagreements to nearly nil and resulted in insightful conversations instead of frustrated mutual blame sessions
Work - very good
Eating in moderation - very good
Learning - very good
Life! - not complaining!1 -
December 2018
Goal 1: A 30 km run.
Goal 2: 2 blog posts.
Goal 3: Complete 4 week Metabolomics course.
Goal 4: Handstands/stretching daily.
Goal 5: Draw daily.
Goal 6: Duolingo Greek study daily.
Goal 7: Continue my 10 months alcohol-free.
Dec 02 Carman’s Women’s Half Marathon.
Koine or modern?
Modern!
Hoping to be able to use it if I end up going to Greece and doing the Athens Authentic Marathon in a couple of years (long-term goal).
Done a 5 minute Duolingo lesson 160 days straight, though I write down a lot of things in Greek which takes longer.1 -
December 2018
Goal 1: A 30 km run.
Goal 2: 2 blog posts.
Goal 3: Complete 4 week Metabolomics course.
Goal 4: Handstands/stretching daily.
Goal 5: Draw daily.
Goal 6: Duolingo Greek study daily.
Goal 7: Continue my 10 months alcohol-free.
Dec 02 Carman’s Women’s Half Marathon.
Koine or modern?
Modern!
Hoping to be able to use it if I end up going to Greece and doing the Athens Authentic Marathon in a couple of years (long-term goal).
Done a 5 minute Duolingo lesson 160 days straight, though I write down a lot of things in Greek which takes longer.
I really need to learn Mandarin, but just don't have the time yet.
0 -
This sums up a zen thing I've had going for a while now.
https://www.raptitude.com/2018/12/why-the-depth-year-was-my-best-year/
"Towards the end of last year I proposed an idea that unexpectedly caught fire: what if, for a whole year, you stopped acquiring new things or taking on new pursuits. Instead, you return to abandoned projects, stalled hobbies, unread books and other neglected intentions, and go deeper with them than you ever have before."
"People started making art again. Long-inactive writers, painters, makers and doers of all kinds got their supplies out and actually made stuff again. Later on in my year I started drawing again—after a 25-year hiatus. (There is definitely a curious link between depth and creativity, but I’ll get to that.)
"People reinvested in their friendships and relationships. “Meeting new people” is something we tend to try when we’re feeling isolated or stagnant. But there are already great people in our rolodexes, and it’s easy to take them for granted.
"People noticed how much they already have. With depth as a guiding principle, we naturally start to look for value in what’s already available to us—in our closets, bookshelves, and address books—and invariably we start to appreciate how much was already there."0 -
This sums up a zen thing I've had going for a while now.
https://www.raptitude.com/2018/12/why-the-depth-year-was-my-best-year/
"Towards the end of last year I proposed an idea that unexpectedly caught fire: what if, for a whole year, you stopped acquiring new things or taking on new pursuits. Instead, you return to abandoned projects, stalled hobbies, unread books and other neglected intentions, and go deeper with them than you ever have before."
"People started making art again. Long-inactive writers, painters, makers and doers of all kinds got their supplies out and actually made stuff again. Later on in my year I started drawing again—after a 25-year hiatus. (There is definitely a curious link between depth and creativity, but I’ll get to that.)
"People reinvested in their friendships and relationships. “Meeting new people” is something we tend to try when we’re feeling isolated or stagnant. But there are already great people in our rolodexes, and it’s easy to take them for granted.
"People noticed how much they already have. With depth as a guiding principle, we naturally start to look for value in what’s already available to us—in our closets, bookshelves, and address books—and invariably we start to appreciate how much was already there."
Profound! 3 -
@FeelinFooFoo You have done amazing things since you joined last year. It's so beautiful to see.
I think it goes to show just how much you can get out of MFP by consistently and kindly using the MFP Community to learn to think differently and learn practical and sustainable ways to make gradual changes towards happiness.3 -
2 -
Relaxation - Five days in a row of meditation
Exercise - daily, usually on the elliptical, Just came back from the park where I jogged.
Alcohol usage - rarely, but it is a wolf waiting in the woods
Creativity - Wednesday night acrylic painting class
Home - Communicating respectfully to husband during our divorce, keeping it calm for the teenager in the house, saying less when you want to say more, limit airing of grievances even though tempted, de-cluttering the home
Work - satisfying, teaching a challenging class of fourth graders
Eating in moderation - this week much better, salad, green juice, chicken salad (low carb)
Learning - always, Wayne Dyer youtube videos, Craig Becky Stop Drinking videos, read an article about why the noses of the Egyptian statues are all broken (no, it’s not because they’re fragile)
Life! - Look forward, not back, realize the ups and downs we experience are for the development of our soul.
Thanks @Orphia for this thread. You inspire me. Daily.3 -
I've been enjoying some very relaxing time in the yard over the past few days, weeding like crazy. A combination of damp, soft soil and warmer temperatures makes pulling weeds very satisfying. They slip right out of the ground like butter, and I go totally zen...
10/10, would recommend!3 -
Thank you so much, Ruby, and Jen! I love seeing what others are doing. So proud of you, Ruby, for being civil to your almost-ex.
With my mum rather frantic packing to leave town to retire interstate, I've been quite stressed, and had a few weeks of poor sleep, waking up for 2 hours in the middle of the night.
Relaxation - Main focus this week.
Exercise - Very happy I'm not doing any events for a couple of months, and sticking to regular running and fortnightly coaching duties.
Alcohol usage - Over 400 days alcohol-free, and loving it. Enjoying having no extraneous mood swings, just those to do with life and
Creativity - Sold another photograph last week, and won a prize in a local competition for a digital drawing.
Home - Communication and relationships between everyone are vastly improved from a couple of years ago, after I decided to just send messages whenever I wondered little things instead of feeling annoyed when no-one rang, and imposed-upon when phoned at inappropriate times.
Work - Been studying new techniques to improve service delivery.
Eating in moderation - No worries.
Learning - Have gone a bit mad on Twitter. It's amazing for inspiration from thought leaders, scientists, activists, sustainability innovators, and gives a far wider range of sources than Google News or just visiting one news outlet.
Life! - Learning that I can cope with life when it's not all beauty and success, and somehow finding that's even beautiful.2 -
Thank you so much, Ruby, and Jen! I love seeing what others are doing. So proud of you, Ruby, for being civil to your almost-ex.
With my mum rather frantic packing to leave town to retire interstate, I've been quite stressed, and had a few weeks of poor sleep, waking up for 2 hours in the middle of the night.
Relaxation - Main focus this week.
Exercise - Very happy I'm not doing any events for a couple of months, and sticking to regular running and fortnightly coaching duties.
Alcohol usage - Over 400 days alcohol-free, and loving it. Enjoying having no extraneous mood swings, just those to do with life
Creativity - Sold another photograph last week, and won a prize in a local competition for a digital drawing.
Home - Communication and relationships between everyone are vastly improved from a couple of years ago, after I decided to just send messages whenever I wondered little things instead of feeling annoyed when no-one rang, and imposed-upon when phoned at inappropriate times.
Work - Been studying new techniques to improve service delivery.
Eating in moderation - No worries.
Learning - Have gone a bit mad on Twitter. It's amazing for inspiration from thought leaders, scientists, activists, sustainability innovators, and gives a far wider range of sources than Google News or just visiting one news outlet.
Life! - Learning that I can cope with life when it's not all beauty and success, and somehow finding that's even beautiful.
Most things are pretty much the same as last update, and going well. Focusing currently on:
Relaxation - Still haven't been getting a lot of good sleep. But mum has finally settled into her new home, and my exhausting trip to help her ended last night.
Creativity - working on things that take time, doing little bits a day. It's a good feeling. A "depth year" Zen feeling.
Home - trying to meld decluttering and recycling and minimalism and practicality and help family do the same.
2 -
Machka9 wrote:Machka9 wrote:Orphia wrote:Sometimes I get a sense in the challenge threads that people are struggling to get by by only managing one aspect of progress in their lives.
Other times, I see familiar faces in multiple threads, and feel there are a lot of us trying to thrive overall.
It’s good to work on making small changes one day at a time.
I’ve found that small changes in one area can lead to changes in many things over time.
Let’s discuss how we’re working on:
Relaxation
Exercise
Alcohol usage
Creativity
Home
Work
Eating in moderation
Learning
Life!
REACHWELL!
Hmm ... well ...
Let’s discuss how we’re working on:
Relaxation: haven't done much of that in the past year
Exercise: building up again
Alcohol usage: haven't touched it since about April 2018 ... rarely drank before that
Creativity: been playing with photography in the past week ... not much of that over the past year
Home:
Work: doing more and more
Eating in moderation: not bad, could be better and will be
Learning: I did 4 Master's level uni courses this past year
Life!
Home and life ... yes, well ... of course most of my focus has been on my husband.
Relaxation: had a really nice holiday from Christmas to early in Jan. That was lovely, but I could have done with the whole month of January!
Dealing with Stress: not well.
Exercise: a bit of a setback in Feb with injuries.
Eating in moderation: have cut back a bit lately, hoping for some weight loss.
Alcohol usage: haven't touched it since about April 2018 ... rarely drank before that.
Creativity: no more of that for a while.
Work: doing more and more ... and more and more.
Learning: I did 4 Master's level uni courses this past year and have started another one this semester.
Home and life ... yes, well ... of course most of my focus has been on my husband.
My days look like this:
Up and off to work. My husband walks to the bus with me.
Work
Appointments for me
Work
Appointments for my husband
Work
Uni
Work
Errands
Work
Sometime later I get home and then it's a bit of a walk, housework, homework, and trying to chip my way through my long, long Things To Do list.Machka9 wrote:A little more explanation.Machka9 wrote:It took me a while to come up with some fitness/exercise goals for 2019 because my goals were all shattered last year when my husband had a bad accident in March. But here it is!!
Half marathon in January ... Done!!
Gradually build up cycling distance ticking off milestone distances along the way. The goal behind this is to build a solid base for further long distances and events in 2020.
50 km
75 km
100 km
125 km
160 km (100 miles)
Get back to climbing 20+ flights of stairs at least 4 days each week. I work in a 10-storey building, and can climb 10 flights in the morning, and 10 flights in the afternoon ... plus extras if I want.
Walk (or run or hike ... basically move by foot) more than last year.
These are my walking/running/hiking totals for the past few years ... so ... more than 1357.1 km in 2019 would be good. I would add more running event goals, but I'll have to wait and see what happens with my back and hip.- 2018 - 1357.1 km
- 2017 - 1302.52 km
- 2016 - 1133.02 km
- 2015 - 1131.7 km
And build some upper body & core strength + improving flexibility.
I would really like to get on a rowing machine this winter ... I think I'm just going to have to break down and buy one!
As for the other things ...
Work: is a bit of a priority right now because as of the end of November, and opportunity for a bit of advancement came up. Not that I'm moving into a new position, but that I have the opportunity to learn and do a lot more in the area I wanted to learn and do.
Uni: is a continued priority because I finally feel like I'm closing in on my Master's degree. I've been taking one course per semester (including some spring/summer courses) since Feb 2015 and have completed 10 of the 16 courses to get that degree. Along the way I've completed a Grad Certificate (4 courses), and a Grad Diploma (another 4 courses) and the first 2 official Master's Courses. I'm in my 11th course now, so the count down is on. It's been a dream of mine to get a Master's degree since I was in high school.
Home & Life: this is all about my husband's brain injury, and it takes up quite a bit of my time. I am possibly a bit too much like a "mother bear" and I am trying to let go a bit, but then something happens and the mother bear appears again. Anyway, this means I attend all important appointments with him and the first appointments of ongoing issues (like when he goes to physio - I go to the first appointment with a new physio, then he goes to the rest on his own), so it can be rather time consuming.
I'm also trying to organise paperwork. That's probably the simplest way to describe a rather overwhelming task. I've taken over everything my husband did plus I'm trying to get on top of all the paperwork things I've been meaning to do for about the last decade.
Fitness: we're long distance cyclists and are active members in our long distance cycling club. Sometimes the "work" there eases up a bit for a few weeks, and then we have a flurry of activity.
And of course, along with this are the fitness goals above as we move back into long distance cycling after a disastrous last 3/4 of 2018.
Recreation: All the things that fall into recreation (stress relief, creativity, taking time for myself, etc.) are backburner things. Things I squeeze into my schedule if I've got an extra 10 minutes somewhere.
Relaxation - Got another 11 day holiday over Easter. Got the flu! But I did end up sleeping a lot. And yesterday I treated myself to a spa massage.
Exercise - Not much ... because of the flu. I was huffing and puffing on a tiny 3.4 km walk today. Not good.
Alcohol usage - Nope.
Creativity - I have had a chance to enjoy some of my photography lately.
Home - Um.
Work - Lots of this. Just trying to get caught up!!
Eating in moderation - Yeah ... because of the flu.
Learning - Still in Uni. Really need to get on top of assignments this weekend.
Life! - Um.
2 -
Relaxation - a nice balance of activity & relaxation - I’ve learned I don’t prefer one over the other, but the combo is bliss.
Exercise - really enjoying shifting from mostly walk/hikes to wt lifting. Have decided to do that on MWF with an hour of walking/hiking 5-6 days a week. If wt creeps up, I’ll go back to 7 days of walking.
Alcohol usage - none, not a drinker
Creativity - TONS, finally after 40 years. Creating almost every day with abandon & happiness. Have biweekly groups of creatives to my home to socialize and...well..create!
Home - Have finally “broken the back” of Sentimental items. They were too sad before, but I’ve switched my thought patterns to “how lucky I am to have this letter, photo, etc.”
Also, we are making great progress on home office files!!
Work - mostly retired at this point - a tough transition, but I did it - for my health.
Eating in moderation - Yes, I am! I don’t eat with abandon any more & haven’t for at least 18 months. I don’t want to feel those feelings again & crave it again.
Learning - Yes, lots! Most recently about Robert Rauschenberg, Merce Cunningham & John Cage. And the role of chance in art.
Life! Is great! 🍀 We are lucky to be alive!2 -
Relaxation - too much, too often...it's really all I do these days - and that's not necessarily a good thing.
Exercise - getting back to a regular routine since recovering from surgery. It's happening, but it's slow...
Alcohol usage - not an issue for me, only have a couple of servings a year, and none this time of year.
Creativity - this is one of my biggest struggles. I have to force myself, and I haven't been doing it lately.
Home - stuck in a rut, need to get the stuff I've set aside for donation (from a highly successful de-cluttering phase) picked up (it's been sitting in the dining room for 3 months now), need to finish painting the ceilings throughout my house - ugh.
Work - I retired early, hence the abundance of relaxation in my life (see above). Sometimes I still work seasonally, but this year I chose to take a pass on that to recover from my surgery.
Eating in moderation - I had a real problem with sugar this past winter, but I seem to be back on track now. Working on more fiber, more fruits and vegetables, less sugar and less saturated fat.
Learning - Mostly just brushing up on various topics through reading non-fiction. I haven't taken any classes in a million years. Spouse and I are thinking about taking a martial arts class together soon, so that would be learning some new skills.
Life - lots of gratitude. I'm a very fortunate person, and best of all, I know it. When you know you've got it good and you can appreciate the goodness you've got, you are guaranteed to be happy. The problem is, it can make you complacent and then you get stuck in a rut. I really should/could take more advantage of my opportunities, but I have chosen not to because I'm comfortable where I am. I'm safe like this. And so it's hard to change and grow when mediocrity feels OK, so I just stay mediocre. I lack ambition. Need to work on that!1 -
This thread, by the way: Even if nobody ever reads what you wrote, or if it's been a while since you posted, it still feels good just to get this stuff out into the universe... 1
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@Machka9 - No fair getting the flu so late in the season (this is the time of the year where I'm coming out of hibernation, so getting hit with a sickness would seriously impinge upon my seasonal joy) but I guess at least you had some holiday time to rest and recover. So at least there's that! Hope you're feeling better now!
@MadisonMolly2017 - I retired early for my health, too. My work was sapping my soul and making me physically sick, so I abandoned ship. There are challenges to being retired too - like keeping yourself productive and challenged - but I'm not sorry I retired. Best decision ever!
1 -
@Machka9 - No fair getting the flu so late in the season (this is the time of the year where I'm coming out of hibernation, so getting hit with a sickness would seriously impinge upon my seasonal joy) but I guess at least you had some holiday time to rest and recover. So at least there's that! Hope you're feeling better now!
@MadisonMolly2017 - I retired early for my health, too. My work was sapping my soul and making me physically sick, so I abandoned ship. There are challenges to being retired too - like keeping yourself productive and challenged - but I'm not sorry I retired. Best decision ever!
@jenilla1 I totally agree! No regrets here either! Just took awhile to piece together the new life!1 -
@Machka9 - No fair getting the flu so late in the season (this is the time of the year where I'm coming out of hibernation, so getting hit with a sickness would seriously impinge upon my seasonal joy) but I guess at least you had some holiday time to rest and recover. So at least there's that! Hope you're feeling better now!
@MadisonMolly2017 - I retired early for my health, too. My work was sapping my soul and making me physically sick, so I abandoned ship. There are challenges to being retired too - like keeping yourself productive and challenged - but I'm not sorry I retired. Best decision ever!
It's late autumn so the flu season is a little bit early! Funny thing was that I was just about to get a flu shot. Now I have to wait till next week when I'm fully recovered.
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*** Wellness ***
The chart above shows 8 dimensions of wellness, but I've thought about them expanded them out ...
Exercise - I do a variety of things regularly.
Eating - I'm trying to eat a generally healthy diet and keep my weight down.
Health - I'm working with health professionals to address various issues before they become big issues.
Sleep - This I could work on.
Learning - I'm in uni going for my Master's Degree.
Work - I'm still working fulltime, taking on more tasks, learning new things.
Involvement - I'm president, communications officer, and ride organiser for one of our local cycling clubs.
Recreation - We go to the symphony and plays, we travel and exercise, of course.
Creativity - My creative hobby is photography.
Preparation - We're getting there. We've got wills and are making preparations for retirement and injury or illness.
Environment - We're slowly organising the house and making attempts to simplify things.
Family - Good relationship with my family.
Spirituality - YES!!
Alcohol & Smoking - NOPE!!
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This thread, by the way: Even if nobody ever reads what you wrote, or if it's been a while since you posted, it still feels good just to get this stuff out into the universe...
@jenilla1 I love your post so much!
It's so great to think things through oneself, and be inspired and comforted by others and how they deal with life.1 -
Had a molar tooth extracted on Tuesday, which was rather traumatic even though I'm not scared of dentists at all. Haven't had any painkillers for 24 hours, but what I'd needed the first 24 is still making me feel foggy and vague.
Relaxation - sleeping better. Not using my phone in the middle of the night when I wake up. Instead, making lists or drawing or light reading, which usually tires me again easily, instead of keeping me awake longer.
Exercise - still regular, just not running as far due to needing to rejuvenate and rest for a bit.
Alcohol usage - what's that?
Creativity - fantastic.
Home - getting better all the time.
Work - had 2 days off due to my tooth extraction, and we didn't fall to pieces.
Eating in moderation - Might have been eating a little more than maintenance as my weight is at the top of my goal range, but I think a lot of it might be due to stress, TOM, and healing.
Learning - been loving my NYT subscription. Also doing lots of Googling for primary sources of information.
Life!- very good. Made a huge realisation about myself on the weekend, and told my other half about something terrible that happened in the past that has been hugely influential to my personality that he never knew about and that I'd never told anyone. I sobbed more than I've ever cried in years, and it feels awesome to have told him and have his sympathy. Discussed it with my psychologist this morning and got so many great ideas for all sorts of life stuff! 2 -
*** Wellness ***
Uh-oh. I'm in trouble according to this chart.
I'm solid on the financial and physical fronts. I'm not too bad with intellectual and spiritual stuff. Occupationally, environmentally and emotionally I'm OK, but could use some attention and maybe some change/development. But socially I'm a little isolated since retiring. I have family and an awesome spouse, but friends have fallen by the wayside. I guess I could use some work in a few areas. Things to think about...
edited: I think I need spiritual work as well. If spiritual well-being is defined by a sense of purpose and meaning (and not by faith) then you can put my spirituality in the "needs work" category.0 -
...Life!- very good. Made a huge realisation about myself on the weekend, and told my other half about something terrible that happened in the past that has been hugely influential to my personality that he never knew about and that I'd never told anyone. I sobbed more than I've ever cried in years, and it feels awesome to have told him and have his sympathy. Discussed it with my psychologist this morning and got so many great ideas for all sorts of life stuff!
Feels good to get things off your chest! I'm happy for you! 1 -
Machka9 wrote:
Sleep - This I could work on.
I've made quite the discovery just recently.
I have been struggling with sore, red eyes especially first thing in the morning. And I've been struggling with waking up feeling like I've just cycled a century rather than sleeping.
I've tried different things ...
-- drops in my eyes when I wake up
-- no coffee after 5 pm
-- chamomile tea in the evening
-- putting on relaxing music late in the evening before bed and turning down the lights
-- reading something relaxing before I fall asleep
-- a sleep monitor that records what I do in the night ... maybe I do get up and ride a century!
The drops in the morning helped a bit, the relaxing techniques ensured I fell asleep within about 5 minutes, and the sleep monitor revealed I snore a little right at the beginning of the night but then seem to sleep all right.
The other night, about 10 days ago, I was dozing off and somewhere in between that wake and sleep state when I suddenly felt like my eyes weren't entirely closed. Then I got to wondering ... am I sleeping with my eyes slightly open? It is a thing. It does happen to some people.
One of the simplest solutions for that is to put drops in the eyes before bed and to wear an eye mask at night. So I went out and got a lightweight one. That night ... drops in the eyes, eye mask on ... and I had one of the better night's sleeps I've had in a while! Plus my eyes were less red and sore and I was less puffy around the eyes.
I've gone to a bigger, heavier eye mask and have slept with it two nights now. So far, I like it better.
Who would have thought that a simple eye mask would make such a difference!
But there is evidence that blocking out the light can help.
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/earplugs-and-eye-masks-help-promote-sleep
https://thesleepdoctor.com/2016/10/31/5-serious-medical-conditions-linked-nighttime-light-exposure/
3 -
Relaxation - Good, finally!
Exercise - Did a 22 km run yesterday, and felt great today.
Alcohol usage - None.
Creativity - Daily.
Home - Very organised! Ticking off lots of jobs.
Work - Incredibly busy. End of financial year is always crazy, but I realised as well that I'm doing the job of 2 people and need to offload some pointless tasks.
Eating in moderation - Great!
Learning - Never stops! No official courses, but just lots of reading of scientific studies, annual reports, statistics.
Life! - Feeling good.
Of note: Instead of 2 sleepless hours during some nights tossing and turning or reading on my iPad, I sit up for less than an hour and write lists and notes in a notebook. Productivity is going crazy, and Garmin said my sleep habits are great! Stress levels have gone down, and lots less aches and pains (also helped by sleeping without any pillows to annoy me). Thinking of how to organise things helps me feel tired again more quickly.
@Machka9 That's so interesting! In summer I was wearing a buff (tube of fabric that is sort of kerchief/headband alternative) to cover my eyes and ears while sleeping. (I like having my ears covered in bed, even on warm nights.)
I found I didn't want to stop wearing it. I love how it makes my eyelids feel heavy.
1 -
Pretty much the same as last week! All good.
This week's lunches:
500g Pulse pasta from Aldi (made of chick peas, borlotti beans, red lentil flour)
40g Edamame
Small tin of salmon
250g Diced pumpkin
250 g spinach
Tomato & garlic pasta sauce
Green peppercorns
Parmesan on top added after photo taken.
Proud of some sewing I've done this week. I mended my rainbow-coloured wheat bag cover. I raised the hem of the net curtains in my bedroom. And I'm really happy I did this embroidery on a little black singlet dress from a drawing I made of a photo I took during a half marathon in a wind farm in November.
1 -
Here's a post to quote so you can quickly edit and add your update more easily:
Relaxation -
Exercise -
Alcohol usage -
Creativity -
Home -
Work -
Eating in moderation -
Learning -
Life! -
1
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