How Are You Doing?

No really…how are you? I’ll go first. I was in an election induced hangover situation last week.  Instead of being worried that the high adrenaline, cortisol fueled stress would continue forever, I took last week to remember that in time my body would return to its normal equilibrium. Or so I thought. I decided last week would be a good time to cut back on the chocolate intake of the past few months that usually leaves me feeling wired but also sluggish at the end of the day. It always helps my stress levels when I take a couple weeks break from eating all the chocolate and this time was no different. But I’m still me (read: I commit hard and like to push myself) and so I took all this extra energy and worked out way too hard. I ended up pissing off my sciatic nerve and have had to stop running since Sunday to heal it back up.

My love of routine and consistency always gets tested when circumstances change and while it’s a great lesson in adapting to the moment, during COVID times, the past few days of not running and spending a lot more time sitting on the couch and stretching have felt like a month.  There’s been this weird feeling on time standing still these 8 months a lot of days so time spent sitting around with my thoughts instead of time spent on my feet doing something has proved challenging mentally. I’ve realized my much I rely on daily workouts to reset my brain and give me confidence in how physically strong I am. 

I’m proud of how far I’ve come in the past year in asking for help in these situations rather than feeling like I’m failing and allowing myself to give up exercising for awhile rather than adapting to what my body needs. I had my annual check up with my doctor yesterday and the timing couldn’t have been better. Because my doctor is a rockstar, she recommended different supplements to help with muscle recovery (read: you’re getting older Mary. 18 miles of running a week requires a lot of care pre and post workout so your leg doesn’t give up on you again) and helped me focus of different stretches to get moving again. 

It might sound like a small thing that I took a minute and asked for help rather than giving in to the feeling that I’d screwed up and couldn’t keep working out for awhile, but it’s a big step for me. Now that I am in a place of managing anxiety rather than just reacting to the intrusive thoughts it likes to throw at me, I can act from a place of perspective on the situation rather than just reacting to my current circumstances. And I’m very excited about that.

With the holiday season in full swing and us staying home for the entirety of it because COVID is very well and we all need to stay home and stay safe, this perspective is invaluable and I know will serve my well in these last few weeks of 2020. The frustration and sadness that comes from our current circumstances no longer causes me to feel like giving up on having a joyful season. Rather, I now the perspective that holidays right now will look nothing like they have before, but I can choose to find joy in this season. For me that will likely involve spending Thanksgiving in my pajamas and watching holiday movies with my family while eating pie (there’s always pie, y’all).

Now that I’ve shared, I would love to know how you’re doing. How you’re really doing. Everything can feel too hard and unmanageable right now, but getting your feelings out and finding whatever big picture perspective you can helps immeasurably. We can do this, y’all. Also, if you’re interested in a pumpkin pie recipe to help get you through next week, let me know and I’ll hook you up.  Happy Wednesday!