It took a bit of work to get into a habit of getting on the treadmill every day. Once I did and started feeling the benefits, it got easier to keep the commitment. The timing was flexible on the days my granddaughter was here, and I kept up the daily routine last summer through the problems with the floor in the family room.
Last fall I fell into the habit of walking each morning between 9 and 10. With the treadmill in the sitting room I can monitor laundry, and I nibble breakfast while I'm walking.
I didn't recognize how much I relied on this routine until two weeks ago when I had the house to myself for a couple days. First thing in the morning I got busy, flitting from one thing to another because I had so much I wanted to get done. Early afternoon I was frazzled and frustrated, and I took a moment to think about what was different. I had not taken time to walk. I chuckled and got on the treadmill.
This past month I have moved walking to later in the morning which has thrown me off a bit. Ken and I make use of the space in the house with an appreciation for what the other person is doing, so now it works for me to walk after 10. This isn't a big deal but it coincides with me trying to add other elements to my routine, and I'm struggling. I'm having trouble settling into time to sew, time on the computer, time for projects that I enjoy. I feel scattered and anxious.
My answer has been to turn my attention to the house - cleaning, repairing, painting. It's okay in the short term but it's not a good long-term solution. I have been in this place before and remember that things do not resolve on their own.
I am putting this out there to hold myself accountable. My doctor and massage therapist are helping me work through the havoc this time of transition is playing on my body. I have suggested adding a stretching program to my schedule, and they both think that's a good idea. Now I just need to start.
I find a way to make time for the things I value. I always have time for my kids and grandkids. I have made daily walking a priority. It takes effort to add something new to my day, to decide to add a new commitment. I have the time. It's up to me to decide how to use it. And I know once I commit to something, I will honor that commitment. I am giving myself notice.
1 comment:
I identify with your scattered and restless feeling. I bet many of us can identify. The autoimmune illnesses that my doctor and I managed well enough to keep me on my feet are now hitting harder as I age. It seems that I'm playing Whac-a-Mole with managing them while still trying to return to the life I had before. For too long, I have chastised myself by thinking that if I can just eat a little better (I'm already eating an extremely healthy diet), exercise more or differently (I was doing dance cardio, Hiit workouts for older people, and walking 10,000 steps a day when things starting hitting me) or think more positively, then I could get back to where I was two years ago. I expected to age but not to change so quickly over a two-year period. I'm coming to an acceptance that I probably won't get all the way back after two years of switching my infusion drugs, but I can reclaim my spirit, my sense of wellbeing. I've started telling myself that I'm doing the best I can and my body is doing the best it can. Instead of doggedly trying to get in more steps each day, I've started sitting under the shade of the porch for an hour or so each day, reading or napping or listening to the birds. If I don't make any progress on my book, I try to forgive myself. It sounds as if you're going through a similar process. I applaud you for recognizing what is happening and trying to figure out a way to make your new reality work for you. It's my opinion that we go through several stages of growing pains, and I'm going through one of those periods as I grow into my current age and health status. I think we both deserve to pat ourselves on the back.
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