It’s my 6th week of working out consistently. Yes, it’s already been 6 weeks since I’ve returned from my epic travels to Iceland and Greece! Which, by the way, was where I did no running at all. Week by week, I’ve tweaked my plan and steadily added on the mileage, the frequency of my workouts, and the variety. I’m getting into a nice groove of working out 6x a week now, and mixing it up with hot yoga + body pump classes + good ol’ running. Through all this, I’ve discovered that my sweet spot is working out in the morning (around 6:30am or 7) before my day gets too hectic. Otherwise, it’s a hit-or-miss that I’ll get to my workout later in the day.
And I have a confession.
A dirty dirty secret.
I am tired!!!
I’m struggling with balancing everything on my plate. I’m torn between having to choose priorities. And I’m left unsatisfied, giving any area of my life less than 100% effort. I’m juggling a full-time career, trying to be a good girlfriend/friend/daughter/sister, figuring out this whole running thing to see how I can be the fastest, strongest runner I can be, trying to eat mostly organic unprocessed foods, staying hydrated, and saving money for financial independence, all while attempting to get 8 hours of sleep/night and wearing sunscreen daily! Le sigh.
Lately, I feel like I’ve been scrambling from 1 thing to the next, without having the time to really think about what I’m doing and if I should even be doing it. Isn’t that the #1 rule to productivity and effectiveness? Deciding if you should even be doing this task in the first place, or if you can delegate it, or even just scratch it off your list entirely?
I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Google calendar, penciling (errr, typing) things in, and then shifting events around. It definitely helps to plan things out, but I’ve been feeling so anxious. I feel like there’s so much going on in my head, and so many things to plan and think about. Which of course, leads me to… even more thinking :) This time, around what remedies I should try to feel less busy.
Meditation
I’ve tried meditation before, and I didn’t find it super helpful. Admittedly, I didn’t stick with it for very long. I do believe its benefits and think it could be a good way to help calm my jumpy mind and clear my head. If I do try meditation, my goal would be to remain calm when life throws curveballs at me, instead of acting impulsively and emotionally.
Sleep
I think this is a huge one. I currently wake up at 5am most weekdays, which means I should be sleeping by 9pm most weeknights. That, my friend, is not happening. I have a reminder on my calendar (of course I do) to go to bed by 9pm, but man, that is hard. By the time I get home, eat dinner, shower, unpack my things, pack my things for the next day, and sit down for a breath, it’s already past 9! When I don’t get enough sleep, I definitely feel the effects: on my spirit, my patience, my energy levels, and my body/muscles. I know this is important, but… there is just so much to do. Which leads me back to my first question… should I even be doing the task in the first place?
Spending on Conveniences
There are lots of tasks I can outsource. I can outsource my laundry, housework, grocery shopping, cooking, and the list goes on. I do have a hard time when it comes to this, because of the way my parents raised me. They raised me with a DIY attitude, where if anything was broken, we tried to fix it ourselves. So why would I pay someone else to do my laundry for me? It’s not “below me” to do this important yet boring chore myself. It’s something I struggle with a lot because I know logically, I can just outsource these tasks and it essentially buys me more time to do the things only I can do (like run, sleep, hang out with loved ones) and ultimately can help save my sanity. However, emotionally, I don’t feel comfortable with it, because… I’m not sure why. Guilt? Because I don’t feel like I’m the type of person to blow a few grand on luxuries and amenities that I can take care of it myself? Because if I outsource, then it means I’m not capable of doing it all myself? I can’t fully grasp or put into words this feeling, but it’s definitely there.
These are the confessions of a tired runner, and a few solutions that have been floating in my mind. I will give it some more thought and will put some of these into action soon.
Do you feel overwhelmed by everything on your plate? How do you find time for the things you need to do as well as what you love to do? Any tips for me? :)