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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

weekly meeting topic: making "you time"



Image from wholeliving.com

I hauled my butt to a meeting, where I gained 2.6 pounds. This is really no surprise, considering I was off the program for two weeks. Still, it's a little disappointing that I could lose sight of my goal.

This week's meeting was about finding time for yourself, so you don't go nuts. This is important. If you are struggling to find calm in your life, chances are you're going to lose sight of your goals. 

make time for yourself
Figure out how much you'll need. Thirty minutes? An hour? A day? A week? 

do something you'll enjoy
A lot of the talk at the meeting had a "make time for exercise" spin. Well, yes. Try to make time for exercise. But make sure that this "me time" is gratifying and leaves you feeling satisfied and accomplished. It doesn't necessarily have to be relaxing, like yoga. It can be strenuous or rigorous. I think the end result you're going to want is a feeling of calm and satisfaction. So if exercising will leave you stressed and annoyed (as is often the case when I realize I can't run a mile straight), maybe skip it. Your sanity might make you more likely to skip on a stress binge. At our meeting we also discussed reading, napping, and cooking as options.

do it by yourself
You're surrounded by people practically every second of every day. Take this time for solo action.

my favorite "me time" activities
Since I'm broke I like to:
hot tub (illegally sneaking into apartment hot tubs)
read
nap!
write
cook a decadent meal
get a manicure
stretch
walk in a park

self indulgence time
I'm rather self indulgent when it comes to taking time to relax. I've been able to manipulate time to work in a lot of these activities. How do I do this? Well, it's a priority. When you're reading a book instead of doing the dishes in your sink, don't sweat. They'll get done (eventually, right?). Don't feel guilty for taking time to take care of yourself.

how I make time
- reading is very important to me. I make sure I skip the Netflix in the evening, go to bed early, and read a chapter or two in bed.
- walking/stretching/exercising - skip that lunch break. I get the majority of my workouts done at lunch, and I love it. It makes the day go by much faster. Eat lunch at your desk afterward (a lot of weight loss supporters think desk eating is a terrible idea).
- Skip the TV. Seriously. I don't have cable, and it makes the greatest difference.
- cook for the week: cut down on cooking time by working a lot of meals around one menu item like potatoes or brown rice. Cook that menu item in bulk at the beginning of the week. Put it in the fridge for use in the next couple of dinners. This works great with things that take a while to cook, like rice.
-use that slow cooker: food in in the morning, dinner done in the evening. brilliant.


What about you? What are some of your indulgences and how do you make time for them?



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