It was a foggy morning but it was beautiful. I had already created my ‘To Do List’ for the day but with the pretty fog outside, the ocean was calling me but
we almost didn’t go.......
While getting ready, the internal dialogue going on in my head was incredible and it was bouncing back and forth from positive talk to negative talk.
‘It’s going to be so great to go for a walk’ to ‘Your feet are going to hurt…is it worth it?’
‘You are going to feel so great after your walk’ to ‘You’re not going to get everything done today if you waste time going for a walk’.
‘You have to go out to get some groceries so you’re going to be out anyways’ to ‘It’s going to be cold outside; you should stay inside…change what you are going to cook and use what you have instead’
‘You already have enough on your plate for today, why are you adding more? Stop procrastinating on what you need to do’ to ‘You should stay home and get more stuff down around the house, you can go tomorrow’.
Yup, lots of banter and all because I wanted to go for a walk.
Crazy right? You know what’s even crazier?
That I used to listen to this banter and it would deter me in the past. I would cave in to my own inner thoughts and allow them to hold me back from doing something positive for myself.
I find it so interesting that I can now recognize when this is happening and I am empowering myself to choose to make a better choice.
I have always had the ability to do this, I just chose not to.
I did the Mel Robbins 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and just left my partially enjoyed cup of coffee on the counter, got changed out of my warm and comfy jammies and right into my workout clothes and out the door, I was determined not to let my inner voice stop us from going on our walk.
Part way through our walk, I even said to my husband, ‘I am so glad we went for our walk’. I could feel the change in my mood and my energy, just by getting out of the house, being in nature, moving my body and of course, getting a little ocean time didn’t hurt either….LOL. The added bonus, I gave myself a high-five as I realized that I didn’t allow my inner voice to stop me this morning and it was such a great feeling.
Sure, it took away some time from working on other things on my ‘To Do List’ but what’s more important than taking care of your physical and mental health?
For me…..Nothing!
Today’s walk was just another positive step of me putting myself and some self-care first and foremost above everything else. The dishes and the laundry can wait…my physical and mental health never deserved to be on the backburner and every positive action step I take helps me prove to myself that I’m worthy of taking the time for self-care and my body will thank me.
