So far my "be present" mantra is working. Even though work is kicking my stress into high gear, I've been able to compartmentalize it a little better and let go of it when I'm not at work. Slowly, but surely, I'm retraining myself to refrain from thinking about things I can't control and things that haven't even happened yet.
My workouts have felt great lately, and I even bought some swim toys that I haven't used since high school -- fins and paddles. Woohoo! I used them for the first time yesterday, and that was a fun workout! Plus, my swim buddy showed up, so we were able to swim a set together (some 300s freestyle, alternating with paddles and without).
I've been a little up and down in my eating habits though. I've been eating a lot of homemade vegetarian chili, hummus (with crackers, though, not carrots), and oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins or blueberries--my mom got me hooked on that. But I've also been craving macaroni and cheese ... so much so that a week ago when I opened a box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese and discovered that the cheese packet had popped open in the box, Trent had to pry it from my hands. It smelled okay, so I though it would be okay to eat. Actually, my brain was telling me "no," but my growling stomach was saying, "It'll be fine. It's all so heavily processed, it doesn't matter if the cheese bag wasn't sealed properly."
So, I threw away the cheese bag, but I boiled the noodles anyway (so strong was my craving) and made my own version of mac & cheese with butter, Parmesan, garlic, ground pepper, and grated cheddar cheese. It wasn't half bad. I made more later in the week.
I'm addicted.
2 comments:
It is nice to hear that your mantra is working. It is difficult for me to stay in the present moment. I watched a show on PBS about the brain and how it is wired. According to this documentary, throughout history we have been programmed to think about the future and the past as part of our survival skills. In the past, we analysed what course of action we should have taken or needed to take in the future. Our life depended on our insights. Consequently, staying in the "present moment" takes discipline, even though we are no longer hunters/gatherers living in caves. Good for you for developing a challenging personal practice. I am sure it will serve you well.
It sounds like you are eating a healthy diet. Macaroni and cheese is a great winter comfort food. Your own version sounds much better than the store bought kind.
Keep having fun in the pool!
Thanks, Honor. The survival rationale for our tendency to dwell on the past or fret about the future makes sense, and I think it still applies today, though maybe not so much in terms of life/death situations. But we have to survive in our work, right? That's the topic that I spend the majority of my time dwelling on when I stray from my resolution -- how to get everything done that I need to get done ... effectively.
I've noticed lately that I'm doing better at staying in the present, but it might be coming at a price:
1. I'm spending more time doing my work.
2. I've been allowing other aspects of my work to cut into my writing/research time.
So, essentially, I'm not worrying about work as much simply because I'm working more and I'm neglecting an important part of my work ... the part that's most easily neglected.
Hmmmm, interesting.
I hope you are well, and I look forward to your next post!
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