Wednesday 14 November 2018

Wellness Wednesday November 14


Welcome to our 11th Wellness Wednesday link up in 2018! Hard to believe that we have about six weeks to go before 2018 is over. In this post, I'll share my October wellness goal updates, my November wellness goals, and stress management tips.

OCTOBER WELLNESS GOAL UPDATES:

In October, I was able to achieve all my wellness goals because I was at home and could go to the gym, yoga classes, and the swimming pool on a regular basis. This is certainly a big plus to build up fitness, just in time for my trip to Morocco in November. My progress tracking is below:
  1. Meditate 15 minutes daily: Done! Meditation is part of my daily routine now and I like this quiet, focused time.
  2. Smile or laugh daily: Yes! October in a nutshell was a fun-filled month, full of leisure activities that I enjoy so it was easy for me to smile daily.
  3. Walk 45 minutes or more daily: Done! I usually walk 45 minutes in the morning, plus walking around to get from A to B during the day.
  4. Work out in the gym three times a week, one hour each time: I worked out fourteen times in October, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
  5. Practice yoga twice a week, one hour each time: I attended nine out of nine yoga classes on Tuesday and Thursday.
  6. Swim one hour weekly: There were four Saturdays in October and I went swimming four out of four dates.
  7. Finish a 5K running race: Yes, I did on October 21, at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 5K race. It was a chilly morning with temperature hovering at 2C (35F). I ran at a steady pace without a walk break, and felt great when I crossed the Finish line. I also ran 5K on each of the other three Sundays in October.
NOVEMBER WELLNESS GOALS:

In November, I'm in Morocco for part of the month. I usually need to modify my fitness routine when I travel. Sometimes it's due to my traveling schedule, and sometimes it's due to the lack of access to a gym or a swimming pool.

In any case, I'm determined to do some exercises every day, to keep my energy level even, and to make it easy to resume my fitness routine after I return home. So I'm setting the following realistic goals for myself:
  1. Meditate 15 minutes daily.
  2. Smile or laugh daily.
  3. Walk 45 minutes or more daily.
  4. Work out in the gym nine times, one hour each time.
  5. Attend seven yoga classes, one hour each time.
  6. Go swimming three times, one hour each time.
  7. Run 5K three times.
STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS:

When I created this optional prompt, I was thinking how we tend to get more stressed as the year-end holidays approach, and together we can share tips to manage stress.

In general, I'd suggest to take a pro-active approach to manage stress before it hits us hard. Activities such as taking breaks, walking, exercising, eating healthy, staying hydrated, doing something fun, socializing, and getting enough sleep all help our well-being.

For the holidays, I'd suggest three tips:
  1. Have a plan for holiday shopping and holiday outings, and stick to it. Your wallet and waist line will thank you after New Year's Day.
  2. Spend your time and energy with people, places, or things that bring you joy. Whether it's a phone call, a card, a hug, or a get-together, prioritize your holiday activities.
  3. Find some quiet time for yourself to relax and recharge during the holidays. A whole new year will be here soon enough and you'd want to welcome it while feeling your best.
Your turn...I'd love to hear how you're doing with your wellness goals and your tips to manage stress.


6 comments:

  1. Hi, Natalie - I love the addition of your stress management tips. I especially agree with #3. Although I'm frequently mistaken for an extrovert, it takes much behind the scenes 'space' and 'alone time' to make that happen. And the older I get, it appears the more space I need. Enjoy Morocco. I look forward tor reading that post!

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    1. Hi Donna - It's amazing how a small amount of truly quiet time can recharge us during the holidays. I'll definitely write about my trip to Morocco :)

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  2. You're doing so well you're motivating me to set some goals. I want to try to 'fit' some walking into my day. But might start small, like a 30min walk 3 times a week or something!

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    1. That's an excellent plan, Deborah. Enjoy your walk and let me know how it goes.

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