“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” – James Howell, Proverbs in English, Italian, French and Spanish (1659)
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Over the past few weeks (or longer) I have slowly (and rapidly) been burning out. Long work days (usually 10 hours and sometimes longer) and online classes with homework leave little time for pleasure or relaxation. On average, I am in front of the computer approximately 14+ hours each and every single day. Everything has become chore-like for me lately, even walking, which I love to do. Same schedule, different day. Same work out routine, different day. My time off work is spent working! I don’t know about you, but this equals severe burn out and feels like a mild depression-induced routine. In all honesty: I hate it.
Truly, we all have different crosses we bear. What do we do when we have a routine like this? Of course, we all know we must make changes, but what if you cannot make a dent of a change in a full schedule in your life? I am still experimenting myself. It is imperative that we MUST make changes eventually. I know I cannot continue on this type of routine day in and day out without feeling awful mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. There is just not enough “me” to go around. A vicious cycle isn’t it? But, the fact of the matter is: life still happens. We still have our responsibilities and obligations, our families need us, chores cry out to be finished, our pets are hungry and in need of attention, extra school work on top of an occupation if you are finishing your degree later in life, on and on and on…and there are only so many hours in each day.
Yesterday I had a half day off and I knew I had to do something different to nourish “me” and get back to feeling like my old self. And I did it! Spring is here, and the weather has been teasingly beautiful lately (today it is 77 degrees where I live). I was thinking of naming this blog something like, “how to have “me” time for under $10″ or “can you have fun for less than $10″ or even “is it possible to have a great day for little or no cost?” But, that was not the point in how I spent my day yesterday or what I want to share with you all in this blog now. Most importantly, I want to share how utterly important it is to have therapeutic time for yourself regardless of an insane daily and weekly schedule. Is it possible? I believe it is. It will take planning and thought and action. When we become desperate enough, we will look for ways to do this.
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I decided to change my work out yesterday morning (because my goal was NOT to have a same thing, different day kind of day!). I started Tony Horton’s 10-Minute Trainer, ABS. It felt SO good to do something different and really it did kick my butt! I would so recommend this plan for ANYONE with limited time (like me) and the desire for just doing something different with their work outs.
**Note: You can get the FREE DVD BONUS Workout—Tony’s Fountain of Youth yoga (a $19.95 value)—when you buy 10-Minute Trainer here: http://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/-/shopping/10MinTrainer?referringRepId=208213
(All of this for $79.90, but 10% off this price if you become a club member! Pretty good deal if you ask me!)
I was now ready for a few hour adventure out of the house. I am so blessed to live so close to the beach and the mountains. I decided to take my little dog to a beautiful park at one of our local beaches for a long walk, Marina Beach Park, and have time for playing ball, just letting the sun shine on my face and enjoy the sounds of the pelicans and scents of the ocean air. Little did I know we would have a delightful surprise: lots of seals! My dog has never before seen a seal and this was actually pretty comical. Was it a dog? A cat? A monster? (We call rats and rodents “monsters”). Instead, it was a baby seal that was coming closer and closer to us, crying out to his/her mother, and my little dog, Buddy, quivered and growled and stayed put on my lap not sure what to do but protect me!
Here is part of the pathway we walked:
Children LOVE this ship:
My favorite view of the bay side:
Our next stop was for lunch! Just me and my dog! He truly is the PERFECT DATE! (My husband was at work)
I splurged and had a glass of cold white wine and we shared grilled fish tacos outside on the patio at Duke’s Grill:
Our delicious & healthy lunch:
Here is Buddy, lounging on a cushion, runny eyes from the sand, lip sticking to his tooth looking much like a Chupakabra!
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To conclude, I feel so refreshed today because I took some “me” time to relax, play, enjoy, savor very special moments and I also found a pretty rock on the beach that will remind me of this day. I also ate healthy and had a new work out. My total bill for this delightful time was $7.08. Yes, under $10!
Even though it was only a couple hours, it felt like a full day off. I am a happy girl today and wish you a refreshing moment every day in YOUR life routine!
~The joy of living comes from a heart of thanksgiving.~
Wendy
Filed under: Fitness, Healthy Reminders, Inspirational, Nature, Spiritual and Emotional Health, Stress Management Tagged: changes, Fountain of Youth, healthy living, James Howell, play, relax, schedule, stress, Time, Tony Horton, walk, work
