welcome to flu season where in new york we cover our faces in surgical masks as we board underground trains that likely have worse particle pollution on any given day than a non airborne sickness that lasts six weeks each year. add in a few bottles of hand sanitizer, a f*ck ton of soap, lotion because of course this virus strikes at the driest of seasons, daily vacuuming + dusting, lemon water, immunity shots, b12, a very expensive dyson air purifier, eucalyptus, oregano oil and, nope, you still get the flu.
many of us are likely to attain this lovely virus even if you got the flu shot this year. children are a walking bundle of germs, the treadmill at the gym has been breathed on and touched without a lovely wipe down at least once, add to that the carts at the grocery store, the pen you signed the receipt with at your nail salon... you get the idea. it doesn't matter how careful you are, we are surrounded by germs and although we try our best to sanitize our spaces, wash our hands until they crack open, and drink uncomfortable amounts of ginger and turmeric, it's not always enough. fast forward to me laying in bed, a box of tissues, a stack of cold remedies, and a white yeti with ice cold lemon water on my nightstand, trying to breathe out of either my nose or mouth and failing miserably at both.
a week later, i'm still living life with swollen glands, a sore throat, and a cough that could put a pack-a-day kind of smoker to shame. the upside is that i've finally gotten past the worst of it and can get back to my daily routine, hopefully better than i was pre plague.
let me paint a picture of the last week: ordering takeout or only eating what required little to no effort to make (popcorn, protein bars, pb+j, cereal, easy mac), lounging around my apartment in sweatpants and a hoodie, sleeping in, putting my puppy in the side yard instead of taking her on long walks, binging on netflix and Disney + series'... not pretty. have you ever seen forgetting sarah marshall? i was jason segel. it's safe to say, i got a little lazy, a little fluffy, and completely out of my healthy everyday routine. my favorite lilybod leggings that used to flatter my waistline but still make my butt look cute are now a little tight everywhere and i have a fridge full of nothing but drinks, chinese food, pizza and thai noodles.
we all get into ruts or out of routines, or into bad habits, leave behind good habits. many of us find our way back but it's always a challenge. taking charge of our choices, acknowledging what we should do to better ourselves not just physically but also mentally and emotionally can be arduous. this morning, i flipped the switch, booked a cardio class at 5:45am, wrote down my goals, created a healthy eating plan for the week, cleaned up my apartment and put on a face mask because as any girl knows, the mask has magical powers of turning a lazy girl into a total boss babe.
one has to take the plunge; just do it as Nike has so vividly instilled in our minds for the past decade. set your alarm, book a fitness class or session, get outside, cook dinner at home, write down your daily and weekly goals... just start doing things and then keep doing them, create a new healthy habit.
we all lose weight, gain weight, lose weight again. we go from eating salads for lunch to eating leftover pizza for breakfast, reading before bed to netflix before bed, those once morning workouts become an opportunity to snooze and sleep in. and at some point we realize what we've done and slowly progress back to who we want to be, to a state of mental and physical being that inspires happiness, order, energy, and motivation.
today i set a five am alarm to get to my workout class and it felt so good to sweat before the sunrise, drank a glass of water before my coffee, went to work, filled my fridge with colorful veggies and plant based proteins, went on a hike with my dog, met with my accountant and am now writing this post to share with all of you. this evening, i'll meet up with a friend and sort laundry to do tomorrow. i've planned out my week including meals, workouts, tasks, objectives, & productive downtime activities so i don't mindlessly scroll through social media or watch some show about the psychology of murderers.
but what this really all boils down to other than me blaming the flu for more than just banning me from my workouts and subjecting me to my bed for a few more hours a day, is that comfort zones are a dangerous thing. we only feel settled in easy situations, areas of our lives that require little to no effort. the early morning alarm is never something anyone looks forward to, a gym session after a full day of work is a feat, making dinner instead of ordering-in requires more standing, cleaning, & time. spending those extra hours at the office because you want a promotion, taking advantage of tutoring for a better grade... whatever it is that requires little more from all of us, is always worth the extra effort.
it's safe to say today was the start of getting back into the swing of things. for me? that means daily workouts, vegetables and homemade meals, walks with kaiya, daily cleaning, booking jobs, morning podcasts, + reading before bed. that also means a few more tasks that i know will aid in attaining future goals and objectives, and of course balancing with that - time with family and friends.
incase you've fallen off the wagon wether it be the fault of sickness or seasonal affective disorder, hopefully my own downward spiral into pure laziness and uphill battle back to a healthier and fulfilled life inspires you to do the same.
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