Lessons in Self-Care - energizing and refuelling
Friday, October 10th 2008 @ 4:09 PM
Wow - what a week it's been for Lucy-Ann and me.
Speaking personally, I've been reminded of 2 key 'self care' lessons which I'm going to jot down here - as much as a reminder for myself as anything...
1. The combination of exercise, fresh air and sunshine energizes me and makes me feel much, much better - about my self and my life.
For 2 days this week, with a To Do list as long as both arms, I had a dog walker take care of Tallis' morning walk and my partner his afternoon one. I made it out for a night walk, but whilst the pup loves it, it doesnt work as well for me as a good, long stomp in the daylight - a fact I knew on a cerebral level, but which I only really 'got' yesterday when it was just me and pup for the morning one.
We were out for 2 hours and instead of spending a good deal of that time thinking thoughts along the lines of "We have to hurry this along - I have work to do" I decided instead to be really 'present'. To enjoy every minute - the nature, the views, the unseasonally warm sunshine and of course, playing and training my beautiful surrogate son Tallis.
Once back home, Tallis settled down for a nap, leaving me in peace to get on with my work - and boy did I work. I ploughed through my workwith an easy, inspired efficiency. By 6pm, I was so pleased with what I'd achieved, all 3 of us (Jas, Tal and me) headed off to the local beach at the barrage for another walk. And after dinner and an hour or so of TV, I even cracked a coding problem which had been perplexing me for about 2 weeks!
So Lesson #1 for yours truly. A 2 hour walk in the morning is neither a luxury nor a time-wasting burden. It is a vital source of energy and joy and I am blessed that I've created a life for myself where I'm able to do it.
2. The busier I am, the more important it is that I stop and eat regularly and well (nutritionally speaking).
I'm sure I'm not untypical in forgetting this simple truth at the very time I most need to remember it. My eyes, my back, my shoulders all take a hammering when I'm on one of my 'work benders'. I want to leave my old pattern of pushing myself until I do damage, behind me now.
I once did a 12 hour motorcycle endurance race with 2 other women riders. Our pit crew and stops were every bit as important as our performance on the track. Without their focus on our fuel levels and/or tyre wear, we could have crashed and burned - literally! This is a powerful analogy for me - I've just dug out that old photo to place by my desk as a visual reminder.
So Lesson #2 for this one-time biker chick. Taking a break is not about slacking! It's about refuelling and optimizing performance - how else will you cross the finish line happy that you did your best?
