resolutions

Now that I live by myself, I have been spending so much time alone and in my own thoughts. I am now on Month 8 of my resolutions, and each month it has been evolving. If you are interested in the individual details, there is more after the jump.

How are your resolutions/intentions panning out? I'd love to hear!

Perfect reminder about the concept of process,
which this whole resolution evolution is teaching me,
(as cheesy and cliche as it sounds).

Sleep:
I have finally discovered that I do not sleep if I stay awake past 12am. I am not sure if that means I have hit a non-REM portion of my circadian rhythms, or if it is just proof that my grandma's insistence on the best sleep happening before midnight is correct. And I have discovered that I will sleep at night if I get up before 6 in the morning. Often, that means I am exhausted and head-achey by 8pm, but I will take that any day over being awake until 4am, and inwardly seething at the prospect of functioning the next day, making me toss and turn even more. And I have found that the more sleep deprived I am, the less I remember. I am a strong advocate of staying awake for one's own experience of the world, and walking around like a zombie is so unappealing, no matter if it comes in the form of drinking, weed, or sleep deprivation. I have also committed to taking my Baldrian at night, which is a long-term investment apparently before it has an effect. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Exercise: 

I have been able to stick with my goal of daily activity, alternating between running 50-65min or 75 min of yoga. Exception: one week of rest due to a calf injury from running on worn-out shoes. It is finally healing, although I should have probably taken 2 weeks off. I was too afraid I would fall off the horse had I stayed off of it any longer. I am still struggling with being a morning runner, feeling tired and stiff in the morning. In contrast, I loooove my 5:30am yoga classes, and feel so rejuvenated to the point of not  really needing coffee except for the taste and to stave off caffeine headaches. I am determined to stick with the running though, partly because I still want to run a half-marathon someday, partly because I need a form of simple exercise that can happen anywhere, partly because my vanity still clammers for a lower number in clothing size.

Eating:
I am finally cooking regularly. I am learning to plan meals, always making extra for leftovers. I am on a whole foods kick, buying fresh nuts, dried fruits and grains at my favorite grocery store ever. I am limiting my sugar intake to once per day, obsessively reading the labels of foods to eliminate unnecessary sugars. I also am trying to eliminate foods that have a long shelf-life, a la Michael Pollan. I am still working out the details of not letting my veggies go bad too quickly, irking my frugality to no end when I have to throw away yet another unused bag of fresh ______. But I am learning.


Emotional health:
I am determined to be more positive. The recent post on willpower stuck with me. Even something as simple as not speaking with contractions made me determined to rephrase my statements positively. I include the elimination of gossip to this list, as well the careful consideration of my time and investment. I no longer trust my character judgement. But I am determined to stay open, friendly and non-judgemental no mater what.





Thank you for staying with me, and continuously encouraging me to live with more ease and more grace.

~All my love in the universe.

photos via {google} and {pinterest}