Live in The Moment

It is confirmed! A stressful week without exercise makes for a more stressful week.

Late meetings, ball games and birthday parties take precedence over my physical fitness regimen. This neglect to my body causes back pain, lack of sleep, achiness in my joints, mood swings and more anxiety than I started with.

Still, I do not wake up early to fit in a workout nor am I willing to miss an afternoon event. Instead I soldier on in anticipation of a weekend free of added responsibilities or family events.

Saturday comes and after the busy week, all I can think about is sleeping. So, I sleep. Keep in mind; I am a believer in perpetual slumbering. Sleeping when it’s raining outside, sleeping when it’s cold, sleeping when it’s too hot, sleeping when depressed, sleeping when bored—all excellent reasons to sleep.

Sleep is like my prescription for healing the soul. So I “healed” for about four hours that day. I only wakened to eat, NOT exercise. I realize now that I have only exercised one day this week. That is four times less than a normal week for me.

Sunday arrives and it is as if the past week is a blur. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and there is a most perfect breeze that is just cool enough to keep temperatures in the 80s. So I run. I run with joy and strength and abandon. I am amazed that after a week of frantic busyness, I feel amazing.

I wonder what it would have felt like if I had made time to exercise during the week. Perhaps I could have tamed the physiological responses to stress. Maybe I would have been able to relax and savor each moment with family and friends.

Of course, it won’t be the last week I will experience such stress, but next time I will be proactive and plan appropriately.

Check your calendar! If your future weeks are filled with more stuff than normal, plan now to fend off anxiety and stress.

Schedule extra hours of sleep and exercise so you will be able to truly live in the moment.