Walking on Wednesday ~ Day of Health or something like that

Almost finished with my first ever 2 week vacation, and I finally am unwound and reminded of life without work taking up all my thoughts and time. It took more than a few days to unwind. And more still to tackle some things that I had let slip.

I don't know what it was that gave me the motivation to do that 2.5 mile walk (with hubby!) this morning, not rushed. Then I did 30 minutes of yoga after the walk, no rush. I also wanted to get a swim in before the dreaded grocery trip that was needed, but not as dreaded as usual because I wasn't in a big rush. 

I had spinach and sugar snap peas and almonds for lunch, with a nice lime in my water - healthy! (It makes no difference that this was all that was left after throwing out the rest of the rotted spinach - it sat in the fridge untouched for a week and a half.) 

Lunch -
better than it sounds, especially with a little poppy seed dressing

A short rain shower delayed me, and I leisurely started some laundry. Then, for the first time this vacation, allowed me a bit of time to actually be able to write without deleting and giving up. (I had started a few blogs but none really worked. I wasn't saying anything important so deleted them all and did other things. And by other things I mean I just sat my butt down and read a book. I did that a lot, and little else. I just couldn't get motivated to do much other than read, until the end of last week when I managed to get a couple swims in. But usually after the swims, I got right back to sitting on my butt and doing very little and ate like crap.)

So today, when I felt like having a day full of exercise and healthy eating, the writing just seemed to flow as well. It didn't feel rushed, or forced. 

After the rain, finally, I ventured out to swim, and found the sky an ominous grey with more rain threatening. I almost abandoned my swim. Had it been any other day, I probably would have just gone straight to the store and come straight home. Instead, I went for it and found the beach nearly abandoned. I think I was the only one in the water for miles. My very own beach. Well almost, there were exactly 2 other people on the beach near me. But while I was swimming, I saw no one else in the water. And by swim, I mean I meandered in the water, going in circles at one point trying to keep up with some fish. I didn't try to speed swim, I just swam. I even just floated for about 5 whole minutes before I got out. Just floated. No rushing. It was lovely.

Then, I thought, this 'Day of Health', what I quickly named it when I decided to do nothing but exercise and take care of me, should finish out with some great dinner and then a wonderful, sound, sleep. I don't know the last day I ever devoted so much to me and my health. Okay, so dinner was pizza, maybe not the epitome of healthy. But, I decided while on the way home to splurge and went to an old favorite restaurant, one with an authentic wood burning brick pizza oven. We never spend that much on pizza, but today I thought 'Why not?' 

I ordered the pizzas and sat at the bar (drinking a much needed water - I was parched after swim and store!) and waited for the pizza. It was a quiet time at the restaurant as it was only 3:30pm, I was the only one at the bar and only one other table occupied with 2 people. I settled in waiting for the pizza to be made and cooked, and just sat there sipping water, actually writing some more of this blog from my phone. It was so nice to just act on the spur of the moment, and then to just sit and enjoy the 10 minutes or so it took to cook. It was so extremely nice to not have to rush. 

I am normally rushing around from one thing to the next and to the next, and then the next thing, etc. 

Rushing. All. The. Damn. Time. 

I operate in a constant state of 'hurry and finish this and get on to the next thing'. Work is nothing but chaotic rushing, as one task can barely be completed before another 'urgent' request is made. Often, I am doing several tasks at once, and then someone stops in my office because they need something right now. When 5pm suddenly hits, I feel like I have to hurry some more and get out of there before traffic gets too bad so I can spend some much needed time with hubby, or talk to the kids, or clean, or cook, or do some other something else, before I totally pass out on the couch the minute I sit down for the day. Also, by the time I get home after a day of relentless activity there is little energy left, it isn't really quality time doing anything at home. Thus, doing things rushed and tired leads to some terrible consequences. Cleanliness and relationship things, with terrible consequences.

I have been reminded over my vacation, with ample time off to recoup, on this day of accomplishing so much with no rushing, how much I have in fact let slip. How much I have neglected. 

I now realize a very important thing: This is not the way to live.

Today, this 'Day of Health', is also the day I realized I need to adjust the way I work. No rushing, no constant state of hurry. No letting work take over my life. Make time for ME during the days. Make time for relationships, for enjoyment, and yes cleaning too. 

I will have to work on this when I go back to the office next week. For now, though, I am just concentrating on the last few days of vacation, on me and health. Physical and mental health. I needed this 'Day of Health' to get me back on track for enjoying life and finding happiness, and not rushing. 

I realized today, it is more than a quick 15 minute yoga before work. It is more than a rushed swim on the weekends. It is more than the awesome views (my favorite one below, taken last week when I first attempted to get back to swimming), though they do help. 

It is not just the views, though they are nice.

It is more than just going through the motions to get things done. It is more than rushing every day to get through the day.

So today, I feel like I am back to me, back to doing things with purpose. Doing and enjoying. I am enjoying this 'Day of Health' the way I want to do it, for me. The walk, the yoga, the swim, the pizza - I feel like I have earned it, and part of being healthy is learning that we deserve time for just us, just doing things for ourselves. For enjoying things. For taking the time to reconnect with people. For living with a purpose, more than just completing tasks and rushing around, and letting work take over your life. 

Perhaps every day should be a 'Day of Health'. And not just saying it, but living it. 

So go have yourself a 'Day of Health', or whatever you want to call it. Take a Saturday if you have to, even an afternoon. Do something for YOU, at your own pace. Take time for connecting with people. Take time for living with purpose. It is yours to take the time to savor - no rushing - no going through the motions to get through the day. 

Hopefully, in the future, I can do this without having to take a 2 week vacation. And next time I probably shouldn't eat the whole entire pizza for dinner...