Sometimes just thinking about getting out of my comfort zone gives me the heebie jeebies! Ok, I more so just wanted to use that term because I highly doubt I’ll ever be able to again, but I’m not the bravest kid out there.
- Writing something that I don’t really want to but I know will help me process things and ideas and life. I know that it’s important for me to write, even if I feel like there’s nothing in my brain. There are actually about 800 things running through my mind all at once, picking the right stuff to throw out to the universe is the tough part. I’ve often just thought “oh, that prompt is too difficult, I’ll just skip it. I’ll just pick the ones that I feel like I can do”. But that leads to me being un-challenged and repeating a lot of the same stuff I have. So it’s time to challenge myself like I am by writing these ideas down — for example I started with prompt #5 on a list and I’ve realized I want to set a goal to do them all — and in order!
- Walking barefoot more — I went on a run today and I’m still struggling to find the right sneakers, I guess, or still dealing with injuries — either way, my feet hurt, so I decided, in the 42 degree weather that felt 39, to take my shoes/socks off and walk a few blocks back to my apartment. It‘s definitely a little “scarier” to do this in a neighborhood where it’s full of young people my age as opposed to a hiking/walking trail. You’ll get weird looks, especially from acquaintances who don’t know you well enough, or who don’t vibe with weirdos like me. But my goal is to stop caring so much about what others think of me & surround myself with those who appreciate me.
- Find a training program and stick with it, and stop adding so much extra stuff. I found a program that wasn’t full of accessory exercises and I added my own. I think I added too many! It fatigued me and at this point I will be off the program for over a week. It was due to work stress, but I guess I’m scared that a workout isn’t enough unless it has x, y, and z, and I have to add stuff to feel comfortable. But I think I need to trust the process more and just be patient because the more I workout (past a healthy point), the more I need to eat, but the more I worry about my body image. So I’ve been beating myself up out of fear and it’s time to stop that.
- More fully embrace the minimalist lifestyle. I don’t really have that much stuff, but it’s more for the sake of not having money, not necessarily choosing to be minimalist. For me so far that’s meant sleeping without a pillow, sleeping on a thin mattress, and floor sitting/laying more often. But I would like to do more and purchase a short desk for floor sitting and a small bolster to sit on. I’ll probably still get a couch in case I have guests at my apartment (go away, COVID!), but I would also like to change the way I store things. This includes my closet, as well as my pantry/freezer/fridge, because it’s truly a mess in there and I think it contributes to my spazzy food choices. It’s kinda scary for me to think about getting rid of my stuff because I “might” need it, but come on, if it’s been a year, is it really going to come in handy? Ok, in theory it might, but for the sake of this conversation, no! This means that it’s about quality, not quantity.
- Do cold showers, jump in cold creeks, embrace ice baths and freezing cold water. It is NOT fun but at the very same time, it’s amazing! The few times I’ve plunged myself into cold water, it’s been…exhilarating. Kinda scary, kinda horrifying, but it puts this great big smile on my face because it’s so hard but I’m doing it. Even if studies on ice baths are still inconclusive in terms of recovery, I think that I get a lot of mental benefits from them. This could also include walking around barefoot on cold ground!
