No road traveled is ever completely smooth. When there are bumps in the road, I remind myself that this is how the real world functions. I'll say to myself "That's life. So now what?" Life never goes according to plan - that's what keeps me on my toes and keeps things interesting. Unfortunately, the bumps in the road aren't always surrounded in rainbows and chocolate sprinkles. More often, they're hassles, pains, and stressors.
When possible, it's helpful to anticipate the barriers that might be encountered. One example of this would by my upcoming trips to Boston and New Orleans. They're not barriers in and of themselves, but these trips going to make it more difficult to stay on plan as they're disrupting my regular routine. So I'm trying to plan in advance to address some of the bumps (like requesting mini fridges in each hotel room) and to compensate for the bumps I can't neutralize (like staying on-plan the remainder of the weeks and maybe exercising a little more on the other days if I can).
I can't foresee all the bumps. I didn't know I'd have so many work-related challenges this week, eating up my spare time, shooting my stress level through the roof, dampening my mood, and severely shortening my fuse. I didn't know that I was going to get sick this week, sapping my energy, disrupting my sleep, and leaving me more cranky and irritable. (Yes, I've been an absolute delight to be around this week!) When these things happen, I try to be flexible and do my best. I remind myself that I'm not able to do everything I want to do and I can't be perfect in all my endeavors. I want to focus on doing my best, keeping from feeling overwhelmed, and maintaining a sense of balance in my life.
One big piece of managing these hurdles is learning to tolerate the discomfort associated with them. If possible, I'd like to overcome any discomfort, but that's not always doable. Instead, if I can allow for the discomfort to be present while continuing to engage in the tasks at hand, then I can habituate to this feeling and not be as bothered by it. (Note that discomfort is different from pain or sickness which can't be pushed through.) I don't have to be happy all the time. I don't have to enjoy the tasks at hand. If I can tolerate the less favorable aspects, I may be better able to work though the bumps at hand.
Everyone struggles. It's part of the human experience, and it's something that can be learned from. If I'm able to identify the reason for my struggles (both past and current) then there's a greater chance that I'll be able to manage them more effectively. I know that I'm more emotional when I'm stressed and sick, so I try hard to not take things personally. I'll give myself a "time-out" and even distance myself from others during these times. When I get pulled off-plan, I revisit the steps I took in previous situations where I fell off the wagon (or flung myself from it with delightful abandon).
It's important to recognize that life's not an easy road. I'm not advocating the adoption of a "gloom and doom" mentality or an "Eeyore" outlook on life, but more an acceptance that there will be challenges even with the best laid plans. I like the first sentiment of the quote "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect nothing and you'll never get hurt." I do want to hope for the best, though I know it's not always going to happen. I want to be ready to manage the worst, should it occur, but I refuse to focus my energies on preparing for it. I don't think I could expect "nothing" as I have personal standards and goals. I can't imagine life without expectations, but I guess it depends on the nature of those expectations and to whom they're being applied. And I don't believe it's possible to NEVER get hurt - it's part of being human and being connected to other humans. While I don't WANT to get hurt, I'd rather expose myself to the risk of getting hurt if it also means that I'm exposing myself to meaningful relationships with others.
Here's to a successful navigation of life's roads!
Food Log:
I can't foresee all the bumps. I didn't know I'd have so many work-related challenges this week, eating up my spare time, shooting my stress level through the roof, dampening my mood, and severely shortening my fuse. I didn't know that I was going to get sick this week, sapping my energy, disrupting my sleep, and leaving me more cranky and irritable. (Yes, I've been an absolute delight to be around this week!) When these things happen, I try to be flexible and do my best. I remind myself that I'm not able to do everything I want to do and I can't be perfect in all my endeavors. I want to focus on doing my best, keeping from feeling overwhelmed, and maintaining a sense of balance in my life.
One big piece of managing these hurdles is learning to tolerate the discomfort associated with them. If possible, I'd like to overcome any discomfort, but that's not always doable. Instead, if I can allow for the discomfort to be present while continuing to engage in the tasks at hand, then I can habituate to this feeling and not be as bothered by it. (Note that discomfort is different from pain or sickness which can't be pushed through.) I don't have to be happy all the time. I don't have to enjoy the tasks at hand. If I can tolerate the less favorable aspects, I may be better able to work though the bumps at hand.
Everyone struggles. It's part of the human experience, and it's something that can be learned from. If I'm able to identify the reason for my struggles (both past and current) then there's a greater chance that I'll be able to manage them more effectively. I know that I'm more emotional when I'm stressed and sick, so I try hard to not take things personally. I'll give myself a "time-out" and even distance myself from others during these times. When I get pulled off-plan, I revisit the steps I took in previous situations where I fell off the wagon (or flung myself from it with delightful abandon).
It's important to recognize that life's not an easy road. I'm not advocating the adoption of a "gloom and doom" mentality or an "Eeyore" outlook on life, but more an acceptance that there will be challenges even with the best laid plans. I like the first sentiment of the quote "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect nothing and you'll never get hurt." I do want to hope for the best, though I know it's not always going to happen. I want to be ready to manage the worst, should it occur, but I refuse to focus my energies on preparing for it. I don't think I could expect "nothing" as I have personal standards and goals. I can't imagine life without expectations, but I guess it depends on the nature of those expectations and to whom they're being applied. And I don't believe it's possible to NEVER get hurt - it's part of being human and being connected to other humans. While I don't WANT to get hurt, I'd rather expose myself to the risk of getting hurt if it also means that I'm exposing myself to meaningful relationships with others.
Here's to a successful navigation of life's roads!
Food Log:
- Meal 1
- 2 egg whites with peppers, onions, and salsa
- 40g oatmeal
- Meal 2
- Light string cheese
- 1oz almonds
- Meal 3
- Green beans
- 2 tablespoons salad dressing
- 3oz chicken
- 40g oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Exercise:
- Time: ~90min on elliptical (changing laundry, blowing nose, etc)
- Level: Level 1 for 1 minute, Level 5 for remainder of time (plugging away at a slower pace because of still feeling sick)
- Calories: 800 calories
Today's Weigh-In: 143.4 / 142.8
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