Sunday 24 June 2012

One step at a time



I recently arrived home from a pretty amazing five-week honeymoon to the States and I admit, being back hasn’t been easy. I was shocked to find out the post-honeymoon blues are actually a ‘thing’ and my body has really struggled getting back into the routine of early mornings, winter nights and long days of commuting.

I guess it should come as no surprise then that when I looked at a list of wonderfully healthy things I had committed to while we were travelling, I found I was so far away from my goals, I was in fact half way through a two piece feed from KFC.

And while I felt so disappointed in myself, I just couldn’t find the strength or motivation to fix it. It’s like the worse I felt, the less possible it was to do anything to make it better.

I am sure you’ve all been there, that cruel cycle, ‘I feel fat so I will eat more’, I feel tired, so instead of going to a Yoga class I will lay on the lounge and drink a glass of red wine (ok maybe that last one is just me).

So what do you do when you feel so far gone? So sad or tired or unhealthy that you can’t even begin to imagine feeling any other way? So lost for energy that even the thought of doing anything that would make you feel better just makes you feel overwhelmed and helpless?

You take one step.

Not two or three or ten, because that’s too many and that’s too scary.

Just one.

I went for a walk. It was cold and my body ached and I was so tried I wanted to cry but I went for a 20 minute walk with my sister and her husband along Coogee Beach last Saturday morning.

Just one.

When we finished I felt something I had not felt in weeks, endorphins, a little bit of energy, just enough to get me through the rest of the day.

I did no more exercise during the week, but again this morning, I woke up, put on my hoodie, and I walked. This time it was a little easier, a little less scary, but the energy and the endorphins were still waiting for me when I was done.

Sometimes change can feel so scary, and for a perfectionist like me I can convince myself it’s not worth even trying if I can’t really commit, if I can’t go the whole way and do it right. But sometimes the only way you can change is just to start, literally one step at a time.

(image via aubreyroad )  

1 comment:

  1. Ah so beautiful, and none of it is just you, its me too, and lots of others I'd reckon

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