Hitting Reset

Start the Year Off with a Reset

Once all the presents were wrapped and sent off, I was left with a lot of time on my hands. This meant the last two weeks in December, I could have taken care of some old projects, and cleared space for the New Year…but I didn’t. Instead, I slipped back into old, slovenly ways. Sand boxes weren’t scooped every day. I didn’t brush my teeth or take my supplements daily either. Naturally, my physical and mental health suffered. Almost daily migraines were the loudest indication I was overdue for a reset.

It started out slowly. I began adding blog posts to my queue again. Then I began vacuuming, if not daily, at least every couple of days, which meant I was scooping more regularly. Last, but not least, I started getting up out of my chair sooner, to brush my teeth, take my supplements, and ultimately, wash my face too. I even started using the FaceFactory masks I’d learned about from my daughter (via the Advent Box she made me), and got an extra boost for my reset when I actually saw improvements to the face in the mirror.

There are still plenty of improvements I can make, but going back to at least part of my healthy routine is a great start. Thankfully, the length of time I backslide, as well as the distance backwards I go is far less than it used to be. It reminds me progress isn’t always measured in steps forward. Sometimes, it’s two steps forward, one step back.

Show Yourself Some Love

Of course, a huge part of it is how much I’ve come to love the me who takes care of herself, not only mentally and physically, but the state of my space as well. I’ve learned when I let things slide in one area, everything suffers to some degree. Granted, my cats would prefer I didn’t run the vacuum as often, though I think they appreciate a cleaner space too. They certainly make their feelings clear if their sand boxes aren’t clean enough!

Even my sleep has improved by paying more attention to self-care. I had started having to move around the house a few times until I found a place where I’d actually fall asleep again. It didn’t occur to me until the problem resolved itself it, it had everything to do with how I was treating myself and my space! Who’d have thought vacuuming regularly could help me sleep at night?

My routine and regular self-care continues to stumble its way back to my version of normal. Ballet is on hiatus while my teacher heals from and avulsion fracture, and I’ve yet to initiate the pilates, or stretches I’ve been promising myself for the last two weeks. Thankfully, hiatus is ending before my body gets too lazy to pick up the steps and movements again.

New dance shoes means my feet are a lot happier though, so I’m dancing more than I had been on dance nights. With the return of people from trips and vacations, there are even a couple more men to two-step with, which is always a treat for me!

The Buck Stops Here

I know, however, if I don’t start doing more stretching, and working on core strength, next week’s resumption of ballet will find me in a world of hurt, both literally and figuratively. The problem lies in connecting the dots between knowing what I need, and actually making it happen. Admittedly, it’s  easier to depend on my ballet teacher to hold space, while I show up at the regularly scheduled times, and do my best to move my body as she instructs. Thank goodness she’s the only one who can see me. I’m sure there are times it’s quite the comedy act. The body does not always want to do what the mind desires. And hey, if you can’t laugh at yourself once in awhile, before diving back in to try it all again, where’s the fun?

I was talking to a young woman I knew last night, but hadn’t seen in awhile. I told her it’s important to commit to yourself, first and foremost, because you can’t pour from an empty cup. As is often the case when I offer advice, I needed it more than she did! Sure, I’m getting to the club most nights to dance, I’m still not dancing as much as I used to (an overall pickiness about which dances I’ll do doesn’t help), and the stretches I used to do before and after to keep my knees happy have been woefully absent from my schedule.

I have to keep reminding myself, I may not be paying for the lack right now, but it will whack me between the shoulder blades, and in the kneecaps when I least expect it…and probably when it’s least convenient. It seems, for the moment, my inherent laziness, and lack of motion is taking precedence over what’s best for my no-longer-spring-chicken body. The reset button I needed to hit a few weeks ago is now flashing like a panic button; bells, whistles, and klaxon horns screaming. At this point, I’ll ignore it at my own, painful peril. And by the way, I am NOT a fan of pain, even if it takes a lot to bring me to my knees.

Make Resets More Regular than Annual

Thinking about it, I considered making “Reset” one of my January words. I realized I don’t need a hard reset where all systems shut down to restart clean. Many of my habits and routines simply need a gentle reminder to get back up and moving again. Others, like stretching, and moving more during the day could use more of a shut-down, and restart in order to get the juices flowing better. I think some of them have dribbled out the sides, to be lost from the system entirely. Wiping the slate clear of the accumulated grease and grime may be just what the system needs to release the old, sluggish, dirty energy, and replace it with a nice, clean 30-grade oil.

I’ll jettison old, crappy eating habits, replacing them with not only healthier choices, but mindfulness, and portion control. Out the door will go sitting in a chair, or on the sofa for hours on end, to be replaced, perhaps, by some Spring cleaning, exercise videos courtesy of Amazon, and if I’m really inspired, maybe even walking the neighborhood again. One of my biggest excuses for avoiding the daily walks was lack of material in my blog queue. Though I’m still ramping up so I have at least a couple of weeks in reserve, I am writing somewhat regularly, and know the walks might…just might give me more material to write about than I get sitting inside these four walls for days at a time.

Whether I end up doing a hard reset, or simply resetting certain systems right now, I know I’ll continue to see progress, as I have by reinstating some of the tried and true activities which activate the synapses in my mind, and trigger responses from my body.

Grateful for Internal Reset Buttons

My gratitudes today area:

1. I’m grateful for staying within a certain range on those occasions I do backslide.
2. I’m grateful for the helpful advice I give other people that’s actually meant for me.
3. I’m grateful for having reasons to get out of the house every week, even if it’s only dancing, and forays out to ensure there’s healthy food in the house.
4. I’m grateful for new shoes that are lighter, and more flexible to make dancing easier on my abused feet.
5. I’m grateful for the mental capacity to realize it’s time to mix things up again.

 

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.

If you’d like to have her write for you, please visit her Hire Me page for more information. You can also find her on Facebook as Sheri Levenstein-Conaway Author