Let me state that this has been a very enlightening experience.
I have always suspected that I was bad at managing stress–going a month without alcohol confirmed my suspicions. The past two weeks have forced me to face my demons of taking on too much, setting my personal bar too high and creating stress monsters that left me at the end of the day with horrendous headaches and tension in my shoulders. After going through the second week of this endeavor as a cranky, not fun to live with individual, I made some changes. I’ve learned to pace myself, put up some personal boundaries (especially around “me” time) and week 3 has been so much better. And I’ve learned to unwind by not grabbing that beer or glass of wine when I get home from work, and more importantly, I don’t miss it as a stress reducer.
Going Out: After two date nights and a concert (Patti Smith!), I have found some great alternatives to that dinner cocktail and concert drink. Spritzers, especially with tropical fruits are divine and I love a well made virgin mojito. And just having water during a concert wasn’t a hardship and saved some serious cash. I also went out with my husband to one of favorite brew pubs, and found out they make an excellent homemade hibiscus cooler.
Sleep: Yes, praised be–week three I finally slept better and longer than I have in months. I feel like I am going through somewhat of a catch up on my ‘sleep deficit’ right now, but sleeping through the night without waking up at least once is wonderful.
Energy: Energy level continues to be much better than December. I don’t feel like I am the walking dead I was the latter part of last year. I find that going out after work isn’t such a chore anymore. As as a result, I’ve seen one concert and I will be seeing two movies in the coming week without dreading the energy crash afterwards.
Weight and health: I continue to lose weight (~4lbs now) and I’m back to walking at lunch again. I’ve avoided the cold that is going around work and I notice my skin looks better. I’d hoped to get into the Tuesday circuit class again, but unfortunately, I ate asphalt walking the dog last week and need some time for my knees to heal.
So with that, we’re onto the next week~and the possibility of adding some a.m. yoga to the mix!
skullwoman 