My Journey With Health And Fitness – Giving Myself Permission To Relax

Ok, so this is not the intro I had planned to write today (it was going to be about killer bunnies but I will save that for a later date). I was out bright and early this morning for my 8k run and then of course after resting for a bit I went out to do my 8k walk. I was down to the last few blocks of my walk when I realized a woman walking towards me was a long time friend who I haven’t seen since last November. We of course had to stand there in the middle of the sidewalk catching up on both of our families. It is just so great when you have been friends with someone for over 30 years and even if you don’t see them very often when you do get together it is like you spoke to each other just yesterday. It also really gave my day a huge boost.

I know I have been offline for a week but as I mentioned my husband and I went to our trailer. We have had the property that the trailer is on for about 20 years and going there has always been the place I go to relax and just kind of regroup. It has often been hard for us as when I was working I would always head up there for extended long weekends but those weekends didn’t match the long weekends my husband would get from his job. I would usually go up to the trailer on Wednesday afternoons and stay until Monday morning while he would come up late on Friday afternoon and leave early on Sunday morning. This was made even more difficult when the pandemic hit and my husband couldn’t come home at all which sometimes meant it was just me at the trailer.

But this year is different. For the 2nd time this year we went to the trailer together and spent 4 nights there just the 2 of us (well ok, and the dogs). This past week we did a lot of puttering around completing small projects that we have been meaning to get to for quite a while. We also spent time learning how to cook on the new charcoal BBQ which I think we are beginning to master. Given the fact that the weather was close to being perfect, it was such a nice time together.

Despite my best intentions I didn’t really workout while I was there. I decided that it was my time to relax with my husband and enjoy the things that we have worked hard to have. But I have to admit it took some time for me to give myself permission to relax. I reminded myself of the work I had done in July and the fact that I did get 1 workout in so it was only 2 days I missed from my normal schedule. Let’s see, 2 days after how many consecutive weeks of hard workouts 6 days a week? I realized I really can’t beat myself up over this. Instead, I relaxed and then I was back at it again yesterday.

It’s ok to give yourself permission to relax for a few days (you just don’t make it a habit). Quite frankly I think it makes you come back even stronger.