I have two thoughts that I'd like to share today...

One: My View on Exercise

Wednesday I planned to go to the gym right after work. My husband gets home at 7:00 so I usually have a good hour to spend working out after I finish work at 5:00 before I head home to make dinner. This particular day I got stuck late at work, which happens a lot, and way too often leads to me skipping my workout. I was walking the 4 blocks to my car, internally debating whether I should go work out and be late making dinner or skip the workout and be home before my husband to ensure the most possible time spent together. (It's amazing to me that I see him EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. and still want to rush home to spend as much time with him as I possibly can). I decided to go work out. I think the deciding factor was the three pound gain I had seen on the scale the day before.

I put my ipod on to my favorite house music playlist and set out on a mini-indoor-triathlon. I did 30 minutes on the elliptical, 15 minutes on the bike and 30 minutes walk/running on the treadmill. I didn't plan on this long of a cardio workout, but once I started I became so relaxed, and I realized that exercise is not a chore for me, it's actually quite enjoyable. The difficult part for me is getting there, but once I am there it is MY time alone to think about whatever I want, or not think at all, to mouth along to my favorite music, and if a word or two occasionally slips out aloud, who cares? This is MY time. If my husband has to eat dinner at 8:00 instead of 7:00, he will live! And I will be happier for him because I am always happier after a good workout.

While I am in the heart of my workout... feeling sweaty, accomplished, proud of myself, strong and healthy... I wonder how on earth it is so difficult for me to do this every day! My life is so busy and stressful. I deserve an hour or two to myself to better my body and spirit every day, do I not? ONE measly hour of the day to dedicate to me and only me... that's not much considering that EVERY OTHER HOUR of the day is dedicated to someone or something else (work, friends, family, household). From now on I will try to view my workouts as a treat to myself, not a chore, because that's truly what it is.


Two: I need more time off from work!

The week between Christmas and New Years is always quite empty at work. Unfortunately I don't have enough vacation to take the whole week off, as many do, but yesterday I took the day off. I have never done this before... taken a day off for no reason other than I don't feel like going. My precious little vacation time is reserved for actual vacations and the 3-5 days per year that I am inevitably sick.

Yesterday my alarm went off and I was positively exhausted (the two tylenol PMs I took the night before for my minor insomnia may have had something to do with this). I got up to start getting ready and decided that if I went to work, there was no way I would accomplish anything being this tired. So I climbed back in bed, turned my alarm off, and proceeded to sleep until 12:30 pm! It was fantastic. I woke up, made coffee, checked my email, and worked on my honeymoon scrapbook while I watched TV (mind you my honeymoon was well over a year ago). My husband came home from his errands (he took the day off too) around 3:00 with lunch. We ate, then I cleaned a little and put away all of our Christmas gifts and decorations. Then I did an OnDemand video workout (two actually) and then some partner exercises with my husband. All together about an hour of working out. I did a load of laundry, cooked dinner, ate, cleaned up and relaxed with a book the rest of the night. THIS WAS THE BEST DAY I'VE HAD IN AGES... perhaps since the last day of my honeymoon last October. I did whatever I wanted all day and was surprisingly productive and more relaxed than I can remember being in the last year.

So, my New Years resolution is to either take one weekend day or weekday off per month and not plan ANYTHING and do whatever I want all day. No to-do-lists, no requirement to work out... just whatever I feel like doing that particular day. The bad news is that all of my weekends for January are booked already (this is my problem... I am a compulsive planner) so I'll either have to cancel something or take another precious vacation day. I need to keep reminding myself that my mental health and lower stress level is worth it. I feel so refreshed today and am more productive at work as a result.