Crisis...uneasiness...the new normal...these are words to describe the world where we are all presently living. The world is experiencing a pandemic and we are all trying to survive. We are working from home and practicing social distancing. Our moods change from day to day. One moment we are fine and will embrace this "new normal", the next moment it is wicked quiet and you feel like the only person on earth.
You can read articles like, "The 5 Best Ways to Survive Social Distancing" or "How to Work from Home when Everyone is Home" or "It's Okay Not to be Perfect". No matter how much you read or how many press conferences and coronavirus updates you watch, no one has the one right fix for everything. Everyone must deal with this in their own way and we all must respect that.
The first week I was working from home I was nervous about getting things done and working hard enough. Prior to Covid-19, I would do my work at the office and then at 5 or 6 pm I would grab my school work and head to the library or another space on campus to work on assignments for school. I rarely brought anything home because I knew I would not get things done. Now I had to figure out how to do my day job and my school work all from the same place in my house, and it is hard.
I find myself tired, so tired by the end of the day. Like it takes so much energy not to talk to yourself when you are alone in your apartment every day. I try to follow the advice of others and stick to a schedule but I end up changing the schedule every day. Trying a new routine thinking that will work better. I love to make "to do" and cross things off, but I find that so much is left on the list every day. I do my work...or in the words of Bill Belichick, "Do your job"...I promise I am Bill! I get my workouts in too but many days I am pushing myself to get out the door for a run or get on my bike. I miss the pool. Does anyone else feel drained at the end of the day?
I also discovered, during the first week I was home that there are exactly 6 steps to the refrigerator, 8 steps to the tea kettle, and 10 steps to the bathroom from the table where I work. I am trying very hard to stick to my food plan and not eat things just because they are in sight or in the refrigerator. I decided that there is so much I can not control right now that I need to focus on something I can control. The thing I want to control is a constant struggle for me, my weight. I have a goal to lose 8 - 13 pounds. I shared this with some friends for accountability reasons. Now I am sharing it with you because this blog was supposed to be about my journey.
The way I started this blog tonight was not exactly how I envisioned it but I guess sometimes you just have to go with it. I want to share my struggles and journey, in real time, in the hopes that I can help someone else during this "new normal". They say that a dream written down is a goal. So I have shared my goal.
And a goal broken down into steps become a plan and then when you back that with actions it helps to make your dreams come true. So I want to lose 8 - 13 pounds and I would like to see at least 8 by June 27 when I compete in the Tupper Lake 70.3 Triathlon (I hope*) and 13 pounds by the Hartford Marathon in October (I hope*). (*I hope that the races will happen and I hope that I lose the weight).
I am starting off with a few easier steps. I am not always good at drinking all my water, and since I have been home, and it is only 8 steps to the tea kettle, I find myself drinking more tea. So goal one this week is to drink at least 64 oz of water per day. Next fruits and veggies, I need to eat more. Veggies are not my favorite and fruits sometimes are tough...either they upset my stomach or it isn't the first thing I want to grab. I am not good at adding these to my meal prep. So goal two is to add at least two servings of veggies and a fruit to my day. Not super hard but little changes that hopefully will add up.
I have faith and hope that we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I have faith and hope that we will be able to socialize like normal human beings one day soon. I don't know what the "new normal" will look like but I have faith we will be stronger and better people because we will survive all of this. #weareinthistogether #oneteam
Stay healthy...stay inside...and remember to WASH YOUR HANDS!!
