Ugh. I'm getting sick. I think I'm coming down with the crud my students have passed around. My throat is scratchy and my sinuses are a bit congested. And I'm exhausted, but that's not really new. That's just life as a teacher.
So this weekend, I intend to rest and plan healthy meals that will help my body get healthy.
Oops! The weekend got away with me. But I did think about my intention. And I thought about writing them on Sunday night as I was in the shower getting ready for bed. It just didn't happen.
But today I'm forcing myself to have a hard stop. I am canceling everything that's on my usual to-do list for tonight and resting. I've had a health issue that has forced me to look at my busy schedule and even though everything on my schedule is good, I need to rest. So tonight is a night of four stressed as I listen to my body.
So now I have time to write down and share my intentions for this week. Last week was a good, but hard week sticking with my intentions. I did a really good job following through with my plans, but it was hard at times. But when I did my weekly weigh-in I saw the fruit of that labor. So this week I intend to keep doing it.
This week I intend to continue to stick with my meal plan, and stick to the exercise plan. My trainer and I have worked out. ... except for tonight. And I believe my trainer would agree.
Today is shrove Tuesday, or Mardi Gras as many may know it. It's the day before Ash Wednesday where Christians historically practice fasting and abstaining from vices. So the night before Ash Wednesday many Christians, and now non Christians alike, enjoy a night of indulgence. In fact, if you live in New Orleans, schools are closed for this whole week of debauchery. At school (work) today, staff brought in treats and sweets to snack on throughout the day in the teacher's conference room. I passed by there so many times and was curious about what was in there. And some of the food did smell very good and I thought maybe I'll just have a little one. But I remembered results of my hard work from last week and thought about the goals that I have in mind for this week. It made it easy(er) to abstain. I'm already in my period of fasting. I will indulge later.
This weekend I got the news that my grandma is declining in health much faster than expected. She probably only has a few days left. It was shocking news, because only last weekend I talked with her on the phone. Yesterday, I could only talk to her, she couldn't reply with words.
Knowing myself and that I feel things deeply and express my feelings deeply, I'm going to have a lot of deep feelings coming up over the next several days. And all those feelings will take a mental and physical toll on me. So how do I intend to care for myself?
This week, I intend to:
* make a healthy dinner that's easy, buy salad kits or hot lunch, and keep breakfast and snacks simple, healthy, and easy
* go for a walk every day
* take extras of my plate of "should dos" because I need to limit my mental stress
* keep up on my bible study assignments each day
That's it. Only four things. I chose the four things that would be most loving and nurturing for myself because I know these will help me best manage my stress level this week and care for myself.
To be honest, I didn't fully meet all of my intentions for last week. But that's ok. No judgment. Life happened, things I wasn't expecting occurred, but I did my best to live with freedom, life, and abundance in mind.
My intentions for week three are similar to last week's. I intend to:
*do yoga every morning before work
*lift weights twice this week
*pack a balanced lunch and snacks each day
*eat homemade dinners
*go for a 20 minute walk every day
*meditate daily
*attend church and bible study
*call at least two friends or family members this week
*spend less than an hour each day on social media to free up time for hobbies
I've decided to set intentions each week that will help me have freedom, life, and abundance.
This week, I intend:
* to not do any "work" work on Sunday, but instead to read or knit or color.
* to go for at least a 20 minutes walk every day after work to clear my head, get fresh air, and get my daily steps.
* to begin each work day with yoga.
* to pack my lunch each day and eat dinner at home.
* to spend no more than one hour each night on work brought home.
* to go to the fitness center twice.
* to write in my journal at least three times.
* to meditate at least twice.
* to input spending on my budget tracker twice this week.
