Running on empty

I've been battling exhaustion all week. Poor sleep quality, bad eating, not enough water to drink & hydrate myself, and not enough exercise all contribute to it.

I've been running on empty for so long that I don't even know where to start to reclaim my life.

Actually I do. There are a few things that work that make my life easier and help me to function better.

1. Stress relief. A few things that I stopped doing too long ago is practicing stress relief. I need to get back into it in a big way. I used to pray the rosary in the car on my way home from work. It's a nice transition & it was a great way to remain calm.

I also can add my nighttime yoga practice back into the mix. I put a little lavender oil on my pulse points (think where you put perfume) and go through a gentle relaxation routine to stretch out my body.

The other thing is spending sometime in prayer. To be honest, my spiritual life has taken a dump lately. I don't pray like I used to & it affects how I handle stress. I love compline which is the end of the day prayer from the liturgy of the hours.

2. Following my routines in my life. I like the rhythm of doing the same thing at the same time every day. I like cleaning the bathrooms every morning. I like cleaning the kitchen every night. I like swiftering the floors & dusting every morning. It really.only takes a few minutes & it makes a huge difference. I love having my home tidy & neat. I love having the laundry caught up. I love not having to stress over things. Knowing what is for dinner also helps because I can plan backwards through out the day.

3. This brings me to the whole eating healthy thing. I don't & it abothers me a great deal. I have a hard time resisting temptation but if I know I can have a treat later, it makes it easier. I really do like my oatmeal in the mornings. I top.it with fruit & granola. I like my fruit & yogurt parfaits or dips. I like a healthy salad with my lunch. And I really love how I feel.when I drink enough water instead of.soda.

4. Exercise. The bane of my existence. I do love working out. I do, I just don't. I conveniently run out of time in the morning to really do anything. Same with my breaks at work. I love how strong & powerful I feel. I love the endorphin rush i get.

I know there is a level of fear involved. I've had this persona for years,  of being disorganized, chubby & a little bit of a geek. I'm almost afraid of changing it & others expectations.

But going down this garden path is causing me additional stress.

So...today I am just going to.focus on eating healthier. One item at a time. All I can do to keep from running on empty.