Quieting . . . Counting . . . Sweating
Today I am grateful for the birds singing and the clouds clearing after a few dreary, chilly, and wet days. I am also grateful for laughter.
The last week has been exhausting and emotional at work, which of course trickles over into the hours outside of work. I have reminded myself to be kind and gentle to all, myself included. It can start with quiet for me.
Usually I give myself ten minutes or so at the beginning of both my commute to and from work when I keep it quiet. No radio. No songs or news. Just quiet and road noise. It calms me. Yesterday, the quiet was feeling especially comforting, so I kept it that way for my entire commute of thirty minutes.
It helped. When I arrived home, it was raining and a run outside wasn't an appealing idea at all. But I had the urge to get some sweat going. I headed down to our home "gym"- an old Nordic Track machine we got free, my trusty old jump rope, our new exercise bike, all of which I am very grateful to have.
Often when I exercise, I am thinking through the day's "stuff" or some goals and ideas I may have. Yesterday, I didn't need any thoughts. I needed more of that quiet. So I counted the back and forth of the Nordic Track skis. It was a brain washing of sorts.
It helped. Within a few minutes the sweat was flowing. That helped too.
Quiet. Counting. Sweating. Kind and gentle with self and others.
The last week has been exhausting and emotional at work, which of course trickles over into the hours outside of work. I have reminded myself to be kind and gentle to all, myself included. It can start with quiet for me.
Usually I give myself ten minutes or so at the beginning of both my commute to and from work when I keep it quiet. No radio. No songs or news. Just quiet and road noise. It calms me. Yesterday, the quiet was feeling especially comforting, so I kept it that way for my entire commute of thirty minutes.
It helped. When I arrived home, it was raining and a run outside wasn't an appealing idea at all. But I had the urge to get some sweat going. I headed down to our home "gym"- an old Nordic Track machine we got free, my trusty old jump rope, our new exercise bike, all of which I am very grateful to have.
Often when I exercise, I am thinking through the day's "stuff" or some goals and ideas I may have. Yesterday, I didn't need any thoughts. I needed more of that quiet. So I counted the back and forth of the Nordic Track skis. It was a brain washing of sorts.
It helped. Within a few minutes the sweat was flowing. That helped too.
Quiet. Counting. Sweating. Kind and gentle with self and others.
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