Nothing taxing, just relaxing

The weather has been fascinating in Kansas this past week, and with it my body has been going haywire. Kansas is well-known for severe thunderstorms and such, but what may be less well-known is the affect these storms can have on the body.



Honestly, I have no scientific data other than my own observations, but as amazing as thunderstorms are, they do a number on my body. Without fail, when the clouds come rolling across the plains, I am guaranteed to need serious bed rest. I get fatigued and feel aches in every joint, my head becomes my enemy and my stomach is hardly my friend either.

This week has been one of those weeks. I spent the day home sick because I've been fighting a fever since Sunday night. I slept most of the day and woke up outrageously sore - more than when I went to sleep last night - in every joint. I decided I needed to try some stretching.

A few weeks ago, back when I still had a little money, I ordered a yoga dvd off Amazon. I didn't want pilates or cardio yoga - I wanted stress relief and was excited to buy "Yoga for Stress Relief" by Barbara Benagh. Monday mornings are pretty relaxed for me and I thought a relaxing yoga routine would help me ease into my hard weeks. While I haven't managed to fit it into my routine yet, I did put it in the dvd player this afternoon and enjoyed a routine to relieve neck, upper back, and shoulder tension. All I had to do was lay on my back and lift my arms and twist a bit - nothing taxing and very relaxing.

The next month, I can already predict, will be full of stress. Finals start in two weeks and there are numerous money issues hitting me (like the fact that I have no money coming in for summer school, much less living expenses!). Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. Clearly I need yoga in my life. When I was in junior high I did a wake up routine every morning and really saw improvements in my attitude, appearance and abilities.

50n50 is about more than weight loss to me. It's about promoting a healthy lifestyle - and that includes stress management. Numerous studies show that law school causes depression in a majority of students. Honestly, going into it depressed means I'm guaranteed to have a hard time just maintaining the right attitude about things. As a lawyer, stress will be an everyday part of life and it's good that I get a handle on things now.

Since starting 50n50, I have re-prioritized many things in my life - meal planning and exercising to name a couple. But now it's time to prioritize stress management - even if it's stressful at first.

I need a plan of action, not reaction. I need to plan groceries before I get so deep into studying that I can't stop and end up eating fast food or pizza. I need to schedule down time - like a park afternoon or a tennis game. And I need to have things ready to start studying so that I am spending my time wisely reviewing, instead of teaching myself things I missed.

But right now, I need a shower before Biggest Loser and I need to rest. Man, my head is heavy!