Self-Care

Last summer I did participate in the Couch to 5K program except that our coach also offered a 5K to 10K program.  The race we’ve traditionally run at the end of the program offers a 5K or a 10K option, so it was an easy addition to the program.  I registered for the 10K program.

I ran more miles last summer than ever before, but I made a huge mistake.  The school year before had been stressful and difficult, so I really felt like I just needed to rest and relax.  So, I decided to relax and have fun with my running.  Instead of listening to a metronome to keep my pace on track, I toyed with listening to music.  I tried different genres and different tempos, but never found a tempo to keep my pace where it should be.  I know a lot of people listen to music or podcasts while running.  It just doesn’t work for me.

I naturally want to run slow and with a long stride, so that’s what happened.  My stride got longer and I got slower which makes for more work on the body.  By the time I realized this, it was so late in the program that I decided to not try to correct it at that time.

I did complete the program and ran my first 10K!  It was a great feeling of accomplishment.  Cinderella participated in the Couch to 5K program for the first time and did a great job as well. By this time, I was the heaviest I had been for a few years.

I’ve learned that relaxation can come in the form of self-care.  That has been my focus in 2019, which is why I’ve shared with you some of the new things I’ve been doing this year–like journaling and Bright Line Eating.  Little things like this add up quickly and can give us the energy we need to do other things well.

If you’re feeling tired, exhausted, discouraged, or burned out, I encourage you to find some things that you can do regularly to take care of yourself.  Think of it as maintenance just like you would maintain your car to keep it running smoothly and efficiently.  Filling it up with gas, keeping the oil changed, keeping the tires aired up, giving it a wash and wax every now and then are all important in keeping your car running smoothly so it will perform the way you want it to.  We must do the same for ourselves, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Matthew 11:28

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My 10-Year Journal

Journaling or keeping a diary is not something I’ve ever kept up with for very long.  As a kid I had the typical diary with the lock and key–you know, the kind that anyone can open.  That lock always made it seem so exciting and mysterious.  However, I never kept up with it for very long.

I have always enjoyed writing, however, as long as I had someone to write to.  In seventh grade, we had a teacher that sent off and got pen pals for the entire class.  I did get a pen pal, maybe two, but again that didn’t last long either.

My favorite and most faithful pen pal was my grandmother that lived 600 miles away.  Remember, this was before any form of electronic communications.  Snail mail was the way to go, and getting a personal letter in the mail was exciting.  This was also the time of being billed by the minute for long-distance phone calls, so talking on the phone to someone outside of your city was really special–and expensive.

I am once again trying journaling.  Some of the books that I’ve enjoyed reading are made up of people’s journals.  I found a 10-year journal on Amazon that I am really enjoying.  Once I get a few years under my belt, I’m wondering if I’ll enjoy going back over the previous years’ entries.

Even though this journal claims to be a 10-year, it’s technically an 11-year journal because it goes from 2019 to 2029!  It has a very nice leather cover and comes in a variety of colors.  It also has very thick pages that are of high-quality paper.  There is no worry of your ink bleeding through with this journal.

The people that created this journal have thought of everything.  First there is a table of contents and then an introduction that explains the various pages of the journal.  There are some lined pages for notes, and then a planning page for each year.  Then you’ll find a 12-year calendar.

For each month of each year there’s a monthly summary page to record something short and sweet that you want to keep track of.  It could be your weight, your blood pressure, the weather or outdoor temperature.  It’s up to you.

Next come the daily entry pages.  There’s plenty of room to make your entry for the day, along with a place to put the page number if you have a long entry for that day and need to continue it on to the back of the journal.  Almost like reading the newspaper and finding the article continued to another page.

Eleven Years of Plans

12-Year Calendar

Daily Entry Pages

Continuation Pages

Event Tracker

Monthly Memo

In the back you’ll find an Address & Phone book page for just that.  Then you’ll find an Event Tracker page for each year where you can record medical events, automobile repairs, or anything else you’d like to record.

Last, but not least, is a Monthly Memo page where you can record birthdays anniversaries, and other celebrations.  Once recorded, everything is in one spot.  No more missed birthdays!

This is the first pre-printed journal that I have enjoyed.  After trying a few others that I did not, I spent a lot of time looking and viewing the inner pages before purchasing this one.  I am enjoying stopping to think about the day’s events and recording the ones that I think are noteworthy and that I’ll want to be reminded of in the years ahead.  So, if you’ve tried one in the past but decided that journaling just isn’t for you; I encourage you to do some contemplating and further looking.

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Do you journal?  Why or why not?  Tell me about your journal.