It has been one month since my last day at my old job. One month of being “independent”, focusing more on me and a work / life balance. And I have to say … change is good! Even great. When I reflect on the past 30 days (from a personal vs. professional perspective), two things stand out.
#1. SLEEP. I cannot get enough. I know our bodies don’t have a “sleep bank” where we can make deposits and withdrawals so we always feel rested and relaxed, but I have to say, I feel like I am making up for the past 15 years of ridiculous schedules. My eyes get heavy and my body and mind shut down at all hours of the day. During one glorious week, I napped every day – naps ranging from one to four hours. This, on top of 8-10 hours of sleep a night.
But for now, I’m going with it. Clearly I am exhausted – mentally, physically, emotionally – so I am listening to what my body obviously needs. After all, who knows when I’ll get a chance to do this again? (and as you may recall from my post “Waking Up Is Hard To Do“, I love to sleep … so this is a very welcome change!)
#2. LESS STRESS = MORE ME. As I described in “I’m Sorry, Why Are You a Vegan?“, I am one of those people who lose weight when stressed. Stress and anxiety clearly impact my metabolism. Well wouldn’t you know, as I made these deliberate changes to reduce my stress levels, my pants got tighter. Face fuller. Curves … well, curvier. Of course, even a vegan can eat nothing but crap (hello, cookies and wine!), and my workouts aren’t exactly back on track.
But just like with sleep, for now I’m going with it. As I’ve signed up for that ridiculous triathlon in August, I know that I will be back on the workout bandwagon soon – I’ve already started to swim, bought a six-pack of yoga classes, and reminded myself that there is a gym in my building. I’ll get there soon – cooking healthy meals, exercising regularly, fitting back into my skinny jeans. One day at a time.
So for now, I will enjoy life as a well-rested, fuller-figured, independent woman. Which isn’t exactly a bad thing!
Great post as always and I applaud your decision to go out on your own, I’m sure it was not easy. I’m jealous of all the sleep you are getting, I wish you could sleep some for me. Can’t remember the last time I took a long nap! Hang in there with the whole dieting/execrcise thing it’ll come to you — and you look great no matter what anyways so give yourself a break. 😉
Hooray!