It's now closer to the beginning of March than February, and the timing of this post reflects the way most things are going around here these days: not following much of an agenda and getting done late if ever. And that's okay.
loving - Early in February I was really loving the daily themes, the instructor's style, and our general commitment to the Yoga Connection || 30 Day Yoga Series with Emily Henderson. Then came the day with an intimidating 40-minute power yoga routine that threw off our groove. Now we're looking forward to starting over again and hopefully finishing it in March.
I'm also trying to love, or at least use, the indoor bike trainer a couple of times per week to get back in the habit of riding regularly. I conservatively estimate that I missed out on about 500 miles of bike commutes while working from home last year. I don't expect to be back in the office anytime soon, but spring will arrive eventually and I'm looking forward to more outdoor rides!
reading - I closed out 2020 and started 2021 with two paperback mystery novels - one by Nevada Barr and the other by Sue Grafton. I'm skipping resolutions this year, but it feels nice to already have finished two five books and be well into my third sixth before the end of February. This is made possible in part by sticking with fiction and essay collections including Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson and A Marriage Made in Heaven or Too Tired for An Affair by Erma Bombeck.
remembering - How different the world was last January/February, and working to adjust my expectations and actions accordingly (see the timeline for this post and reference to skipping resolutions above). I really hope that by fall plans can be made further in advance and the calendar will start to have more fun things on it (regular get togethers, dinners out, holidays with family, etc.) but in the meantime, taking things one day at a time and marveling at how the days are already getting longer, is the best thing for me to do.
sharing - I was feeling pretty down at the end of 2020, and while the state of things politically and pandemically certainly had something to do with it, a good deal of it also came from deeply held expectations for myself and feeling like despite doing so many of the "right things" - getting outside for walks, doing yoga, trying to maintain friendships over Zoom, eating vegetables - I always felt tired and depleted.
A few things have helped me feel better lately, and I share them in case they might help someone else:
- The 30 day yoga series above, and its message that yoga is not about improving yourself, but getting to know yourself as you already are.
- Trying to be more pleasure motivated, i.e. do more things that I want to do, rather than doing them because I feel like I have to (inspired by the book The Pleasure Zone by Stella Resnick).
- Talking to a therapist.
- Embracing my 'masculine side' meaning if a stereotypical male isn't worried about it or doing it, neither am I. Making plans for Valentine's Day? No thanks. Worried about the amount of time spent online? Nope. Dust on the baseboards? What are baseboards?
wishlisting - A continued drop in Covid-19 cases and more spring-like weather by the end of March since we just accepted an invitation to go camping over Easter weekend!
