The caloric and mental expenditure yesterday and the days leading up to this event were enormous. It reminds me that in my training for the track and the marathon, I also have to respect the efforts that I make in my professional life. I do not do this often, so no, I do not believe that this takes away from my training. In fact, I think it makes me stronger both mentally and phsycially.
When I get stressed, I generally do not eat. When I snack, I do not always make the best choices. Most mornings, coffee is the first thing that hits my lips. I decided to improve my eating habits. I would buy food to help me make better choices.
I suffer from imposter syndrome. I never think I have prepared enough. I do not believe I belong. I doubt my previous work, I downplay my past accomplishments and successes.
This a great time to reflect on the first half of 2019, check in with your goals, and decide if it might be time to chase something different.
It got me thinking, in this day and age how perfectionism is celebrated; it can be challenging to admit that you made a mistake. Once you realise you may have made a mistake, owning up, and apologising can be even more intimidating.
Happiness is a practice. In the face of adversity and discomfort, what aspect can you view as positive and joyful? If someone is irritating you, how can you shift your perspective such that their behaviour no longer irritates you? How can you find the ‘good’ in life?
Today is a day to celebrate all the things related to running. Today is a day to celebrate your running, your friend’s running, and all those that inspire you. It is a day to think about all the joys of running, and yes there are sorrows, but they make the happy moments that much more satisfying.
I wrote that 56 hours might be the new magic number for sleep – the magical 8 hours a night over a week (8 x 7 = 56). Most people probably do not achieve 56 hours over a week, and likely operate in a sleep deficient, impaired state. Not only is it unproductive, but it also not safe.
The cue is a trigger that usually tells you to indulge in a bad habit or, more positively, a way to start a new positive pattern that will result in a different outcome. The routine is what you do to create a new outcome in your life; it takes approximately three weeks for a new routine to become a part of your life. The reward is what you offer yourself once you have created a new routine.
The idea is to get you to think about your sleep as the ideal eight hours every night but in the context of a week. You do not have to be perfect every night. You can have a bad night of sleep, and that’s ok. It is how you respond around it that matters. Multiple nights of poor, short sleep will leave impaired, but again, once bad night surrounded by nights of good sleep and you will be okay.