Gumption to Move
It all started with a text on a semi-nice weather day in late March. March 28th to be exact. I was hurrying around at home getting ready for another work day. It had officially been Spring for about a week, and I desperately needed to feel her presence in the wings; especially with an April Fool’s Day snow storm in the forecast (it happened by the way — no joke). It hadn’t been the worst winter I’ve seen, but it hadn’t been the best either. In fact, there were days in January that felt like March and days in March that felt like January. Those days left me wondering if Mother Nature’s wires had gotten crossed. Regardless, winter had taken its toll, and I was ready for nicer weather and increasing hours of daylight.
I was less active this past winter than in other years, so I was more than ready to go full throttle with my evening workouts. For those of you who know me, you know that the open road is my gym of choice. Short from wearing Yak Trak’s and bundling up from head to toe, my gym is only semi-operational during the winter time. So, when Spring arrives I happily welcome her with open arms. This year was no exception. That’s one of the reasons why, as I sit here on a 90+ degree day in mid-May, my thoughts go into rewind. The text that I received that day was clearly a catalyst.
For the past few years, I’ve been on a mission to nurture my mind, body, and spirit. And that meant implementing a lifestyle change; which, for the most part, I have. But what I didn’t realize (fully anyway) was that I wasn’t doing a stellar job of fulfilling that mission during the work day. Let’s face it. Most of us have busy schedules and pressing deadlines. And I can get caught up in that — more often than I’d like to admit.
Some days, I’m so busy being juggler extraordinaire that I forget to press the pause button. Other days I’m so focused on adapting to and managing the changing contingencies that I simply forget to get up out of my chair and move. Before I know it, I’ve become absorbed in distilling down the details for whatever project is on my desk. Then, when I get up, it’s a screaming reminder that I haven’t moved in what seems like forever. And that’s just not good. For my mind, my body and my spirit. Or my keister for that matter!
When I began to think about the amount of time that I spend in my office each week the realization of my idle state was eye opening. Sure, my Fitbit does a good job of nudging me to get up and move every hour. But I don’t always. Some days those 250 steps an hour go right out the window. The worst part? I’m the culprit.
It wasn’t just the lack of movement that got to me. It was the lack of fresh air. It was the “x” number of hours per day spent inside. It was sitting when I could be moving. It was admiring a gloriously beautiful day from my office window and wishing I could enjoy it. It was feeling confined and drained. It was longing for that extra stimulation — that thought walk — to realign and re-energize. But most of all, it was facing these things and realizing I had done nothing about it.
As I talked with a colleague and friend about this, we found that shared similar feelings and that we were experiencing the same kind of blah throughout our day. And it bothered us. A lot. We recognized that the second half of the day left us feeling sluggish and we acknowledged how much better we felt after getting fresh air during lunch. So, it got us thinking what if?
What if we broke the cycle?
What if we tried something different?
What if instead of staying inside, we got outside?
What if we started taking advantage of nature’s pathway and walking during our lunch hour?
That’s why on that fateful day when I received the text that read “I’m going to bring shoes to walk at lunch today if you’d like to join me” that I immediately replied with “Sounds great! I will.” There was no hesitation. There were no excuses. There was only a desire to change and form a new habit. And gumption to get moving.
It’s been almost two months since implementation, and things are going well. There’s a significant difference in how I feel when I walk at lunch vs. when I don’t: my mind is sharper, my body is more balanced, and my spirit is much calmer. The most interesting part of this is that I also feel this way after my nightly workout and have for some time. However, I was unaware of the impact that a health break at work could deliver; and how important it is to promote and champion the benefits of doing so. It’s also another way to help me manage my high blood pressure in addition to medication. And for me, that’s a bonus.
I’m thankful that there are rail trails and other footpaths close to the office. They are accessible and well maintained, and they lead to some breathtaking natural beauty. Better yet, they offer serenity during the work day. And the mindfulness gained while doing so, well, I’d say that’s a pretty good return on investment in exchange for my time. It’s a new chapter and with that comes the discoveries that you make along the way — those aha moments that reinforce that voice in my head that says: “yes, I made the right choice!”
I miss my lunchtime com padres and our daily exchange of banter. But, I’m noticing more and more of them walking at lunch too, so perhaps it is contagious. The point is to make time. Take the pause. Grant yourself the opportunity to recharge. You’ve earned it. You may think it isn’t necessary, but you may very well end up realizing that it is a welcome part of your day.
©2017 Laura Mikolaitis
Laura Mikolaitis is a Brand and Project Manager who has spent most of her career in manufacturing. Never afraid to dive into the details, she loves a good challenge. In her spare time, Laura enjoys writing, spending time outdoors, and laughing with her friends and family.
One of her favorite quotes is by George Bernard Shaw: “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
