I get paid for 2 months in the summer: 1 month to teach an online class and one month to hire staff, prep my TA training, and update my large class. This summer I am also part of a working group that meets regularly, and I am participating in a reflective pedagogy research project that's really fun.
I have a good plan in place to manage this work, and I have some course revisions in process that I'm really excited about. And! With everyone home and depending on me for meals, entertainment, and taxi services, work time is down right rejuvenating.
It's the other things I want to make time for: exercise, reading, lunches with friends, working through the dessert book my brother sent for my birthday.
SO. This summer, I have a few goals:
1. Use my planner every day to sketch out a loose schedule, keep track of appointments, and track my spending.
2. Get dressed every single day-- workout shorts are for exercise and dog walks, NOT LIVING MY LIFE.
3. Exercise and take at least 3 dog walks every day. I am using my weighted vest again, and I have big plans to do some barre classes. I need to get in the habit of stretching and doing some kind of resistance training most days-- I really don't know why I have been so slow to get started on this even though all the menopause experts say I should be doing it. I am really thinking about joining a gym.
4. Eat an anti-inflammatory diet and consider intermittent fasting as I get through the worst (HOPEFULLY) of the menopause symptoms I am dealing with.
5. Go outside my comfort zone in Charleston with Dorothy-- this means saying YES to the sunset cruise with the dance team, going to the beach just the two of us, navigating a new city on my own, finding fun restaurants and shops, etc. (Ben is the literally best you guys. He is road tripping down there with us so I don't have to drive all that way alone. Then he is flying back to Madison and leaving me there with my car and flying back at the end of the week to road trip home with us).
6. Travel (on an airplane??) for our 20th anniversary in August.
One thing I will not be doing? Drinking. We went out for my birthday last weekend, and I had 2 aperol spritzes and slept NOT AT ALL that night., I fell asleep fine, woke up less than an hour later and mostly was awake until after 5 am. IT WAS HORRIBLE. Would 1drink have had the same effect? WHO KNOWS because I am not a moderator. (I might try a cocktail again after my HRT has fully come on board-- I was definitely less anxious about not sleeping-- I really think the hormones affected my mood right away. Also! The alcohol night! I had almost constant hot flashes even though it was 64 degrees in the house and we had our windows open.)
My mantra this last year has been "I can do hard things" and I know you can too! You CAN fly, just add a little lorazepam. YOU can do hard things!
ReplyDeleteI read this post and the post about what the kids are doing at the same time- sounds like a busy summer. But fun! There's a lot of fun here. Well, except for the not sleeping. I can see why you don't want to drink this summer! And yes... start strength training if you haven't already. It may not be as crucial for you if you're doing HRT, but still... we should all be doing it 'ast a "certain age." I'm off to read your facial products post (how did I get so far behind? Sheesh.)
ReplyDeleteFellow mom who has to squeeze in work time while kids are mostly home in the summer--curious how/when you will work? Do you get a babysitter for Minnie? And please update if you try intermittent fasting. My best friend LOVES it but I basically hated life when I tried it for a week!
ReplyDeleteI cannot sleep anymore after I drink either!!! It started a couple years ago (I'm 47). I was never a huge drinker (aside from college and a few years after that, LOL) so no big deal. One drink is usually okay so I just try to stick to that. UGH why does no one tell us about these weird random things?
ReplyDeleteGreat goals. I bet you'll get into a great excersize routine and you'll feel good and not look back. Your summer sounds so busy, but also fun. Charleston sounds like amazing. It's awesome that Ben is getting you there and back. So sweet.
ReplyDeleteI always think I'm gonna do things in the summer like Finish My Book, because I'm not 'working' - as in not running a daycare, but there's rarely time for me. I'm working on carving time out to get my stuff done. Fingers crossed.