Mindful.

It's February. In the past, when I made New Years resolutions, I would have failed by now. 

For a while, I stopped making resolutions. I had a lot of reasons, but if I'm honest, it was because if I didn't make them, I could not fail.

Lately, I have been more interested in making small changes and being consistent while also keeping my goals manageable. I decided instead of big new years resolutions, I would set monthly goals. I also took a different approach and decided to make most of the goals something that adds positively to my life. I'm not taking anything away, but I am adding something that makes me feel good. When I feel good, I make better choices overall.

January's was a meditation streak. I had to meditate every day for the whole month. The time could fluctuate, but I had to do some kind of meditation every day. I had been using the Head Space app off and on, and I decided to utilize it for this goal. Most days I did 10 minute meditations. I completed a 30 day anxiety package. It became a part of my daily routine, and I found myself wanting to do it. I needed my 10 minutes of peace. I even continued my streak through some stressful events and handled them with a much cooler head.

This is exactly what I was hoping for. I have continued my streak. I am on Day #46, and I don't see it ending any time soon. Mini goals work.

Thankful and Healing

Things I'm thankful for today:

#1 I am not in any pain for the first time in a year. Honestly, I've gotten so used to being uncomfortable that it kind of freaked me out. 

#2 Physical Therapy. I love it. I've been going for the last few weeks to fix a problem with my shoulder. It was causing constant, painful headaches for about 6 months. Today, I have no headache. It's pretty amazing. My PT also told me that my ankle is strained tendons and nothing more serious. Very happy about that.

#3 Taking a long walk in the sunshine with my Moon Dog. It has been warm and sunny for two days now, and I am loving it. Went for a 3 mile walk with the pooch this morning, and it was pain free! Amazing. 

So, the last few weeks have been pretty rough. I was in a lot of pain and feeling pretty run down. My body felt like a 90 year old (or how I imagine it feels, anyway). I've been trying to exercise while also resting both my ankle and my shoulder. I'm trying to focus on letting my body repair. The final tournament of the season was last weekend, and I can finally relax a little and focus on feeling better. I have to admit, I have been pushing myself even though I should have been resting. 

I've been careful with my eating and with my movement. I have been doing everything I need to do to combat my medical issues and staying well hydrated. I feel better. Not 100%, but so much better than before. I already feel so much better.

I've also been trying to stay positive and calm. I've been meditating regularly. I usually follow my own plan, but it's seemed like too much work lately. I don't want to have to think about it, so I found a guided meditation app that looked like what I was looking for. I wanted something simple and something that would keep me consistent. It's called Headspace, and they offer 10 days of 10 minute meditations for free. I just completed day 10 (admittedly it took me more than 10 days - life doesn't always cooperate). It's great. It's simple and consistent, and I don't have to think about it (or anything else). The subscription fee is really low, and I plan on subscribing and getting even more meditation packs. The calm I feel is totally worth it. 

So, that's it. Nothing too exciting. It's been a week of healing. Exactly what I needed.

Just Breathe

Life has been a mix of highs and lows lately. I am in the midst of tech for the musical I am directing. I have meetings all week. I've started half marathon training, and I am getting ready for a TKD tournament. Add to that my family's needs, my other jobs, and my writing, and things have been crazy.

Normally, I would eat junk food, not sleep, and stress out. That's my M.O. for tech/show week most of the time. But, I want to be healthy. I have to take care of myself. So, I'm trying to do things differently this time.

So far, so good. I ran Friday, Sunday, and this morning. Not only because I needed to, but because I want to. It's a great way to reset my mood in the morning. I added meditation this morning, and I feel much calmer.

My favorite little guy gave me another great tool. He asked me this weekend if I was "off my calm", and since I was feeling stressed, I told him I was. He taught me the "rainbow breath." It's a basic yoga breathing exercise. I think he learned it at school. It was very calming, and he was so proud when I told him it helped me.

Keeping calm is the goal for the next two weeks. I'm trying for daily yoga and meditation as well as just taking things day by day. Plus, lots of running and daily exercise. I've got this.