Skip to main content

De-Stress Your Life... One Month at a Time

I'm becoming more and more convinced that stress is a key factor in not only our health but also in how happy we are and how long a life we live. Before I went back to school a year ago, I was sick constantly! I was also completely stressed out by my work environment. It was this situation where I wasn't being appreciated, I wasn't given enough to do, and I had absolutely no control over changing any of that.

In this past year though, as I've struggled to keep two Etsy shops afloat, gone back to school full-time, and moved twice... I've actually been far less stressed! I rarely get sick anymore, either, was is quite amazing to me! I'd started to think being sick was just "normal" for me.

So as I'm looking back over this past year and loving the positive direction my life is taking... it makes me want to continue in that direction!

If you've been a reader of this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I love setting resolutions for myself... and I'm equally good at not keeping them. ;P So I'm going to try something a little different. I'm going to give myself one 30-day challenge each month. That way it's a nice, bite-sized, measurable thing I can do that most likely will result in an actual habit-change. And rather than getting stressed out trying to re-make my entire life in a month... I can work on it one step at a time!

Month #1 Challenge

I challenge myself to stand up and walk around at least once an hour (during the day), if possible.

I read somewhere awhile back that sitting all day is one of the worst things you can do for your health. And as a champion couch-potato, I'm thinking that's probably not good news for me. Lol. But... moving around at least once an hour is said to bring stress-levels down, lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol, etc. So... that sounds easy enough to do!

Now that I've started school again, I'm taking a smallish water bottle with me to class, and every time it empties, I get up and go re-fill it (not during a lecture, but if I'm working long hours in the lab, this is a good reminder to get up and move around). So not only is this getting me moving around more in the course of my natural day, it's also getting me to drink more water, which is also really good for my health in general. So overall, I think this is going to be a really interesting challenge and I can't wait to see how the month turns out!

*****
Won't you join me on this month's challenge? Grab a button to remind yourself!

Comments

  1. Congratulations on the lifestyle change and resolutions. I am not always sick, just depressed at how I feel, groggy, tired, and I may just have to follow along with you on these monthly goals!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes that could also be an indicator that your lifestyle and habits are not quite in sync with where you need to be to be healthy. Even if you're not sick, always feeling run-down isn't really healthy either and seems like it would probably end up taking a toll on your immune system. Of course it's harder to get moving when you're feeling groggy, but hopefully this will give you some good motivation! :)

      Delete
  2. I just read about this again in the paper this Sunday. Another plus they mentioned for including water in this challenge - it forces you to get up more often for bathroom breaks. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love this idea! I agree, sometimes resolutions are hard. I made some for myself a little while ago and found that breaking them down really helps! I too need to get up during the day more often! I'll definitely be joining you on this one!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Don't even try to leave a link in your comment... it will be deleted without warning.

Popular posts from this blog

DIY Art Journal

Hi, my name is Linda and I am a 25 year old law student living in Manhattan. I blog over at My Passion Is... about my life, scrapbooking, DIY crafts, photography, exploring NYC & more. I am honored to be sharing a post with you today on Jen's blog, so thanks for having me! I recently completed a mini album that I made out of a pasta box so I wanted to share a tutorial with you so you could make your own! What you need: empty pasta box [I used a whole foods penne pasta] scrapbook papers & embellishments a single hole punch sturdy tape [like packaging tape] a paper cutter and/or scissors some sort of binding, either binding rings or ribbon First, you are going to flatten out your pasta box. Then you are going to cut it down to two 6x6 squares [or whatever size album you want to make]. If the box doesn’t fit perfectly in those shapes that’s alright, just piece them together using packaging tape to hold the squares together. Once you cover them i

Etsy Giveaway: Desert Rose Knit Shop

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!! 39 comments are entered - if there are any more at a later time added, they will NOT count. ********** Today I'm christening my new(ish) blog with an Etsy giveaway! I'm offering one lucky winner a cabled beanie of their choice ( pick your favorite color !). This giveaway will run for a week - so you have until next Monday, January 23rd, to put your name in the hat. 6 ways to enter: Comment below about which color beanie is your favorite. Subscribe to my blog on Google Friend Connect . Blog about this giveaway on your own blog. " Like " my Facebook fan page . Follow me on Twitter . Tweet about this giveaway. Please leave a separate comment below for each entry. At the end of the contest, I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner!! Here's a look at some of the color options available. Browse other color options over at  my Etsy shop ! ***** Thank you for enteri

Meet a Designer: Stephanie Kubo

I stumbled across a completely fascinating artist today, Stephanie Kubo . Her portfolio doesn't state if she's a working designer, illustrator, etc, but her work is exquisite so I think she fits the bill for including in my Meet a Designer series. Enjoy! (Linking up with Kristen Victoria ).