With the new year came a (once again) renewed resolve to improve my health status. And I've been doing a pretty good job of it for a little more than a month now. Don't they say that it takes 3 weeks to form a new habit? Well, it's been a bit longer than that and while I will admit to some fits and starts and a couple of relapses... I'm kinda sorta impressed that I've stuck with it this well.
One thing I've been doing is making a conscious effort to increase my daily steps... using the stairs, taking the long way around, walking at lunch (there is a beautiful plaza in front of my office!) and doing stuff upstairs and down at home in the evening. I haven't really noticed much improvement in endurance or speed even though I do try to push myself. So, you ask, what have I managed to accomplish with all this walking? A mild case of shin splints.
What's the deal with that? Is it the universe just flipping me the bird?
But rather than stop, I'm trying to be more gentle about it for a couple of weeks and be stretch the muscles in my lower legs several times throughout the day. Hopefully that will give my shins the time and wherewithall to heal.
Another thing I've been working at is eating more healthy food and a lot less junk. So far that is mostly cooking and eating at home instead of going out. This is harder! When I get home from work there are just some nights when I am mentally spent and it is near to impossible to find any desire to cook. I'm finding it is more likely to happen, however, if I have a plan made ahead of time and I arrive knowing what I'm going to be cooking so that's where I'm focusing most of my effort now. I'm making and shopping for a meal plan 2 weeks at a time. Again you ask, what is this accomplishing? Well... I *think* I feel less sluggish. And it's saving my financial situation from complete chaos.
Along this same nutritional bent, I've also been taking a multivitamin in the morning. And I'm managing to get it down me most mornings. I think I'm averaging 5 out of 7 days. Admittedly not a perfect record, but much better than... oh say, NEVER.
I'm also working on my mental health. Paper clutter has been [one of] my major downfalls but I've made a goal of getting rid of one garbage bag full of it every week and when a bill/statement comes in the mail I've been logging on to that website and getting myself set up for electronic delivery. I find I am much more likely to look at it when I get an email notice than when it's just one more envelope taking up space on the coffee table. That is an unexpected benefit and it's helping me get better control of my spending... which helps me get the roof paid off faster... which will help secure my financial plan. Much happier about this than the darned shin splints!
Also for mental health, was a goal to post to this blog at least 4 times each month. Made it for January! Writing is a great stress reliever for me and for a long time I've been making it a goal to write more. That's even the main reason I started this blog. But I think I needed that mandatory measuring stick to really make it work for me. Also a surprise here... I've found I really like writing about applying scriptural thoughts to everyday life. I'd always thought of myself as more a short fiction story writer, but writing about the scriptures has really been satisfying. So I think I'll keep it up. Someday I may even get brave enough to submit something to real publisher!
I'll post on my success (or lack of) periodically. Kind words of encouragement would be welcome!
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