I'm surprised I haven't already dreamed up a blog specifically for Cooper, because he deserves all the attention he can get. I realized I haven't really given you all an update on how he's doing, now that he'll be turning four in July. I can't quite grasp how long it's been since we picked him up in Milwaukee which was the beginning of college for me.
Rest assured, Cooper has become my roommate, colleague, classmate, and truly a confidant for me during a time of isolation and distress. I mean, that's the whole point of having a pet, right? A cuddle buddy without judgement—even if he steals my socks every day, he's become my closest companion during a time when I would be out and about doing stuff for school and work in the city. And how has he been handling everything going on in the world? Well, let's just say he makes our neighborhood a better place.
Cooper's days consist of sleeping in until I can take him on a long walk midday, and during these times I feel like he is like a lazy teenager who could sleep for hours on end. But once he hears me putting on my shoes, he's already at the back door waiting for me to put his collar on. Even now that it's getting to be the weather we've all been waiting for, I let him bask in the sunshine during the afternoon while I do work or tutor. If he could stay outside all day long he would; sniffing the air and eating grass is all that's on his afternoon agenda.
His Allergies...
I've mentioned this before, but Cooper's allergies have been at an all time peak. Dogs have Allergies? Yes! Cooper has had seasonal allergies for quite some time and his skin gets really red and itchy from all of the pollen flying around. It usually subsides after awhile, so we just have to pay attention to how many times he rolls around in the grass—which is a lot.
His Diet...
He also is celiac and can't have gluten in his food, so we've been keeping him on a gluten free diet for the past three years. Talk about high maintenance! But we love him dearly and will give him the world :) With that, comes a lot of treats, so I think we need to limit the amount of dog bones we give him at times. Especially rewarding him when he's actually done something good, rather than just for being a spoiled pup (we try). Maintaining his healthy weight is definitely a priority, but it only helps that he's incredibly active and could retrieve balls for hours.
His School Days...
On days that aren't so sunny, we usually take Cooper to day care. Especially now when he still has a lot of his puppy energy. It has definitely given us a break when he is antsy in the evenings and we're all trying to relax. Cooper is definitely a social dog and likes to play with his friends, so making time for him to run around and burn off all of his energy has helped us out immensely. It keeps him active and in contact with other dogs his size, as well.
These have been some formative years for Cooper and I think he turned out just right :P So far, I've taught him how to spin and roll over, so we'll see how much progress I can make with "paw". Although he might have dropped out of puppy training school, he seems to only listen to me nowadays and I am perfectly fine with that.
Let me preface this post by saying that we are all on our unique and personal "fitness" journeys. I realize that "fitness" can be loosely used to define the condition of someone's physical health, but can be more broadly rejected for its way of standardizing what is determined as "healthy" or "toned" or "strong". For the purposes of this post, the word "fitness" to me is unique to my own experiences with feeling good in my body and the progress that I'm making every day to achieve it. Hence, my "imperfect" fitness journey felt suit to my current feelings about my physicality and overall wellbeing.
This has been one of the most physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing year for all of us. Days where I would digress into negativity and forget to treat myself well before serving others. I found that what I needed was a new grip on strengthening myself in more ways than one. I lost a part of me that I used to love, cherish, and commit too. But I also gained a part of me that allowed for rest, self-forgiveness, and a moment for me to realign with what truly mattered to me and my body in that given moment.
Exercise, for one thing, has been a way for me to cope, release these pent up emotions, and do something bigger and better for my body and mental health coming out of a time that was and still is bearing a weight on all that we do. So, my imperfect fitness journey—throughout this year and many years—has brought forth a few honest takeaways. Ones that I hope will inspire the inner warrior in all of us.
Above all else, commit to yourself
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that you have to be your own cheerleader and advocate for the betterment of yourself. It starts with how you envision your best and most healthiest self. Yes, you could scroll on every single fitness guru and influencer's Instagram hoping to manifest whatever good juju they're running on OR you can focus on what will truly help you in reaching realistic and mindful goals you want to achieve. This starts with choices.
Tiny tiny choices that have big big big impact. Switching sugary cereal with protein packed breakfasts. Choosing water over soda. Getting to bed earlier than usual. Doing one more rep. Or deciding that today is the day you'll go back to the gym. It's all about perspective and active choices you are making in the present moment. But sometimes, these choices are indulging in delicious pasta, having an extra cocktail, sleeping in until noon (or five, you choose), and these choices shouldn't be something you base your "fitness" on but rather how good doing these things make you feel. Check in with yourself, set your limits, establish healthy boundaries and stick to it. Above all else, listen to yourself and do what works for YOU.
The environment that we're in has a remarkable effect on our current feelings about ourselves and what makes us feel good. We all know the saying that the people we surround ourselves with reflect on us and our own self perceptions. But this time, I mean it in a good way. For many, like myself, we've been home alone and remiss of social interactions—positive, motivating, and encouraging social interaction. With REAL people! Whether it be in your inner circle or at work, there are always opportunities to find those select few who will also be your cheerleaders when times are tough.
Your fitness journey does not have to be a lonely one. You can competitively connect with friends on your Apple watch, social distance run with your dad, or join a virtual fitness group that constantly meets. There are many people trying to also better themselves and feel good, so why should you be alone in the process? In my experience, group workouts and team exercise has been the most empowering when it comes to finding the power within myself to stay motivated, challenged, and to be honest, less bored because of it. I'm rooting for you and so many other people are, too.
Keep Showing Up
When waking up at 6 in the morning sounds like an utter nightmare, let alone having to run at 6 in the morning. If there's anything I know to be true, it's that no matter what I do and at what energy or motivation level, there is always something to gain from showing up. Knowing that I was able to make time to focus on one part of my body, one mental issue I was dealing with, or zoning out in my tired mind and putting in the work just because I was there and didn't want to waste my membership. It's time to accept that all of your days, workout days, are going to be different. Things are going to hurt, things are going to swell, things are going to ache, but things are also going to feel good as hell. You need to be one with the process and be able to forget achieving perfection and achieve for progress. Taking each new day as a reset button and doing the most you can!
There will always be fear when it means making yourself vulnerable, specifically pushing your body in ways you never have before. I understand it's different for everyone and is definitely something I constantly feel and face when I'm experiencing a new workout, trying a new yoga pose, or going past a limit I know I may or may not be capable of. What we've learned from this year is that we are afraid of everything that is uncertain to us—isn't that how fear works? To hell with fear!
We have learned so much this year about how to adapt to uncertainty. At times, getting too comfortable in our bubbles, but mainly because we had to! We are coming out of our cocoons, not really knowing which direction to go in, but yet we go anyway because anywhere is better than that depressing and claustrophobic cocoon of comfort. Take a leap of faith and have trust in yourself and the process. There may be dust in the wind for sure, but getting through it is how you grow into a beautifully independent and empowered butterfly that is you!
Breathe and Let Be
You are exactly where you were meant to be. Your time will come and it's okay to let yourself take a moment to pause. And do what you need to do in this exact moment. More stretching less pressing, smaller reps, a slower pace, one less mile, and all at one step at a time. You will have moments of doubt, regret, anger, jealousy, you pick your poison. Acknowledge it. Use it.
Breath has the power to transform your mindset, your strength, and motivation. Use your breath in harmony with and not against your progress to becoming a better you. Scream. Literally scream. You'll feel much better, I swear ;) You are going to have really rough sets, lousy reps, and just outright lazy days. Recognize how it makes you feel. Reflect and use this frustration or self-doubt to drive positive and more considerate thoughts. Breathe in the good and out the bad. Trust me, your body and mind will thank you.
There is only one way to go—forward. No matter how you get there. Working out and focusing on your personal fitness, however you define it, doesn't have to be justified by measure of appearances or fulfilling a standard of what you "think" being fit is. Ultimately, the goal of reaching your best fitness is treating your body in ways that, at the end of the day, make you feel bubbly inside, smile more, and feeds your soul!
My fitness journey doesn't speak to everybody's, but if I can lift just one person up to make the next best moves for themself, I hope we can all radiate a collective understanding and tolerance for accepting our truest selves. By becoming vulnerable to our strengths and weaknesses, finding encouraging support systems, and trusting the process of each of our unique and imperfect journeys.
Whether or not this blog post was something just to cross off my to-do list or not, I think it's valid to say that talking about productivity versus progress is definitely a start. Now that I've come to establish some sort of routine that "works" for me at home, the lines are blurred between what work is actually productive and what tasks are actually making progress for myself and my goals. Here's the quick distinction between the two:
"Productivity is merely the ability to create or generate goods or services. Progress is the more important activity of moving toward a goal."
And you may be thinking, Natalie, isn't being productive also making progress? Well, in some ways yes. But let's just say, for example, you've added all of these things to your to-do list (vacuum, take out the garbage, dust, answer emails, submit final draft etc.), are you actually paying attention to what really needs to get done (i.e. that final draft)? It all depends on how you approach the things you want to achieve. Nowadays, we're all looking for new ways to boost our productivity, but it shouldn't mean overloading our plate and mis-managing our time just to do it all.
We can make as many long to-do lists as we want, and manage our time as efficiently as we can, but it shouldn't be the only meter for success we use to determine whether or not we've done enough or the most we could that day. I fall into the trap of making myself busy, but blindsided by tasks that could lead to progressive next steps to achieving my goals. Sometimes, this means reframing your priorities or focusing on what's truly important long term. And that goes with being present in your given task and acknowledging how it's going to effect your progress.
How can we make progress?
When you've come at a stand still with the work you're doing, ask yourself:
- What am I really chasing after?
- How am I constantly measuring my progress?
- How is the current work I'm doing fulfilling what I set out to achieve?
These are just some broader questions that you can ask yourself when you are finding that your busy work is fading away the long term goal you set out to achieve. Whether you're trying to answer every single email, apply for a job, or tweak every single detail in a project. I do this a lot. I'm the type of person who likes to get every tedious task out of the way before tackling a bigger one. Usually, it just fuels the procrastination even more and my motivation is depleted by the time I set out to start it.
I find that when I feel like these tasks are taking out the time I need to reach my goals, especially if it isn't immediate or time sensitive, I'll feel way better later knowing that I was able to directly focus on things that needed the most time and energy. This doesn't necessarily apply to every single time you're working, but I would definitely re-visit these questions when you feel a sense of overwhelm or like you're just ticking stuff off your list at an abnormal speed.
Working faster or harder doesn't always mean efficient...or progressive for that matter. Rather than setting a stop watch every day for yourself, try to take a step back and pause. Re-evaluate what needs the most attention. I think being at home and having much more time to do more things on our computers diminishes the pause we allow ourselves to breathe. In fact, I listen to less music now because I'm not commuting into the city. So, whatever you need to do: scratch off some items, take a dance break, get some fresh air, do it so that whatever you set out to achieve is the next step to making more progress.
Positive conversations nowadays are forth coming. It seems as though that just this time last year people were panicking, also in disbelief, about our surroundings. It's amazing to see the growth in just one year—how we've moved so much, but yet at the same time, it feels like we were just trying to figure everything out and are still figuring things out.
Just my mental state alone has been challenged so much this year, but I think that's just the truth of life—we're hit with curveballs left and right. There's no set path, there's no need for approximations or expectations. All we have is the here and now. I think I've come to terms with it. At least, there's so much more to look forward to. Rather than sulking in the unknown, here is why I am hopeful this month...
Beginning a New Chapter...
The timing couldn't be better. A year that was spent focusing on myself was time that I will be grateful for. Not only was I able to reassess my goals, but also recognize the faults along the way and how I've internalized my own struggles. I have been able to adapt to extreme change, and I think I've grown to be a calmer, more collected person because of it. As I try to enjoy the last ten weeks of my senior year year of college, I don't think I would have wanted this learning and growth process to have happened any differently.
I was able to learn how to stay true to myself, even when the world was falling to pieces left and right. I let myself breathe for a change. I was also able to realize the importance of upholding your autonomy, getting comfortable with the unknown, and realizing that I'm going to be with myself for the rest of my life so I better shape up my attitude! For lack of a better comparison, I'm blooming into the person I want to become—no matter the setback. So, I'm ready. For whatever life brings: graduating from my backyard, conducting a lengthy job search, working more hours than I'm used to, living at home for a couple more months if it means banking on my future, who knows! What's ready for me will come and I'm just one with the process, as you should be too.
Creating Boundaries for Myself
There's no doubt that I was stuck in limbo for quite some time trying to balance school, work, and personal life all from the four walls of my bedroom. I didn't quite understand the power of separation and making the time to detach from everything that ranks #1 on my priority meter. The truth? Nothing is more important than time for yourself. Yes, life would be so easy if we could just get through all of the hard sh*t and enjoy everything we love at once, but proactively realizing the need for slotting time off your calendar to improve your wellbeing is something I will never take for granted.
Whether it be joining a gym again, cutting out milk, reading before bed, or buying that really expensive face mask you've been dying to try but have been juggling whether or not it's worth rewarding yourself with it for no good reason. News flash—you deserve it. You could mope and stress about all of the things you need to get done OR you could pour yourself a glass of wine and get through it one sip at a time.
Reflecting the Good on Others
I think the saying is true that we reflect our emotions on others. You send out the positive vibes and they'll come right back to you. I get it, not every day is sunny and I can fully confess that I've been a negative Nancy—Natalie—here and there (and we have every right to be), but I've realized just how much this negativity has impacted the people around me. Whether it be a simple annoyance (taking out the dog...again) or something that has been brewing inside of me. Lashing out does me no good and it does no one in my family any good, either. We can wallow, we can dwell, or we could find the brighter side to things, move on, have a laugh, and know that we'll get through it if we just fix our attitude. Your reaction to your current circumstances are the make or break of living a happier and all around more positive life. Hey, maybe I should become a self-help book author. In retrospect, what goes around comes around (and I hope it's just positivity this time).
I'm no buddha or therapist, but in a way, I've become my own mental trainer. Some days are kick-butt mental trainings and others are full, unapologetic cheat days. Reaching for perfection is never the goal, but progress is. Taking the necessary steps for you to live a better life moving forward is all we really need. Now, where's that glass of wine I was talking about?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons