The age-old quandary of finding a routine for one’s physical well-being.  Even teachers have a hard time maintaining their practice, but in the end we are always grateful we devoted some time to ourselves and moved our bodies.  

For me, the hardest routine to establish was my morning routine.  I am naturally a night owl, so shifting my clock came with mood swings, tons of ice cream (any excuse to eat it really, not just getting up early), and sleeping aids- from Tylenol pm to sleepy-time tea.  I mean, I had tried the evening workout routine, but quickly found myself enjoying a glass of fine wine or meeting up with friends, or worse - getting stuck at work!  

So with my new attempt at working out before starting my day, I would get freaked out that I wasn’t going to sleep on time and that my whole next day was to be ruined cause I’d feel like crap and be exhausted.  Boy was I good at projecting on to my future self, there was no way I could win; I wasn’t allowing anything but that to be my reality.  All I could do was dwell on how negative my life had become as I shifted into trying to find a routine that worked.  I began to feel a slave to working out, but I loved to eat and drink, so there had to be some kind of balance.

After life had become quite stressful, and I was in a deep, downward spiral of self-loathing and pity; I just got fed up!  Something had to give, but what was it going to be?  With great thought, I realized I couldn’t give up eating or drinking, and I couldn’t give up exercising.  I had always noticed that I felt emotionally and psychologically stronger when I was physically stronger.  With life’s challenges getting progressively harder and my desire to have a home, family and possibly retire, this was not the time to feel weak in any way.

Being that I so wanted to practice this “adult-like lifestyle,” I decided to just not give a hoot! I decided that if I was to stay up late, then the next day I would probably feel tired, and just go to bed early, and not to care either way.  But there was no way I was going to miss waking up and moving my body.  I had come to realize my day was better, I was happier and my body was looser after a morning practice.  And to make it more fun, I would mix it up by doing something different every morning, if I could.

Now when I sleep-in two days in a row, my body feels creaky and I become grouchy.  I begin craving it, and ultimately finding my next excuse for movement. I’m in the best physical shape I have ever been in and as I get better with my routine, my health and wellness improves.  My outlook on life improves, and all the complicated adult stuff, doesn’t seem so stressful or too important after a workout. My mind becomes balanced and my mood mellows.  I know I am doing the best I can do, and my efforts seem to be reflecting well on my life, health and well-being.

Start now, you’re worth it!