A little while back, I wrote about committing to being better.
I started out with five things on my list. Let’s see how I’m doing:
1. Eating healthier
Check. I’ve changed up my eating habits and I’ve lost some of the weight that I put on from last year. I’m not a dieter and I love food, so obviously it wasn’t easy. But I do feel better for it. I have made and succeeded in steps toward eating better. :)
2. Getting more/better sleep
Sort of. I have been more conscious of my sleeping habits, however, the past few weeks have been rough on it. Instead of what I should be getting, I’ve been skipping out in favor of getting more work done. We’ll leave this one as still trying.
3. Exercising more often
Mostly. I’m doing a lot more walking and I make an effort to park farther away from where I need to be or across campus so I’m forced to walk more. Plus, Brent and I have done a lot more hardcore hiking. Though our original plan of swimming regularly was foiled. Marywood’s pool policy won’t let Brent swim without paying an obscene amount of money every time he comes to use the pool. Currently, we’re investigating the possibility of joining a gym with a pool. Also, I’m hoping to take Swimnastics next semester :)
4. Reducing my stress level
Not as well as I had hoped. While I’ve dealt with stressful situations well, I’m still piling on more opportunities for stress to occur in general. I need to continue to work on this. It’s a process.
5. Making time for me and for the things that I enjoy
Kind of. Maybe. Brent and I have started to make the most of our time together by doing things we both enjoy. We’ve gone on day trips and have spent time with our families. We’ve started to watch our favorite TV shows together. We’ve been watching more movies together and making more time to actually relax. Sometimes that time that we set aside gets compromised because of crazy work schedules and such. The point is that I’m working on it and making an effort. It’ll take time, but I know things will get easier.
Hmm…not bad. What do you think? What are some ways that I can reach these goals? I’m open to suggestion :)
Props, Mandy! I make Better Myself lists like this all the time and never revisit them because I’m too embarassed that I didn’t stick with it. One bad day and my willpower goes right out the window.
My life is one big ball of stress, and sometimes it’s more managable than other times. With No. 4 I find, and believe me I know it sounds like bunk because I thought it was too, that taking 5 deep breaths really helps. I’ve been reading about doing it for years and finally just tried it on a rip-my-hair-out-day and it actually worked. Sure, I still want to rip the hair out sometimes, but when I take those breaths, it’s only a few strands … ;)
Thanks so much for reading and commenting Nikki! I’ll have to try taking a few breaths next time I think I’m about to lose it. :)