Here we are, acknowledging the fact that we survived the rough and somewhat somber week that follows Mardi Gras. I miss the strange sensation of accidentally spilling glitter on my late-night, post-parade pizza (and eating it anyways) and waking up full of glee knowing that instead of struggling to put on real pants and chugging coffee, I can dress up like a “dragon from outer space” (without anyone questioning my sanity). But all good things must come to an end and we've had a week to get back to “real life” now.
There are things I need to accomplish, such as getting magazines to press, planning a fundraiser and working on a side writing project with a friend. And of course, there’s that ongoing and occasionally uphill battle of Being A Better Person.
This is my debut blog about “wellness.” Thankfully, that’s a broad topic that seeps into any and every aspect of life, and I intend to address a lot of things here, mentally, physically and maybe even emotionally.
I gave up pizza for Lent, along with drinking alcohol on weeknights, and so far (seven days in) it’s been successful. I was going to give out dietary advice and tips on how to cut out pizza, but then I ate gummy bears for dinner on Valentine's Day. And maybe gummy bears were my entree for last night’s dinner, too. I didn't even eat them at the dinner table with silverware like a civilized human!
Another thing: I may have consumed half of the stash while still in line to check out at the grocery store. (Has anyone ever been arrested for eating bulk snack items before paying? Do they just shame you if they catch you? If I were jailed for theft, how badly would I get my ass kicked if someone found out what my “crime” was?)
Sometimes when I feel annoyed by a particularly high electricity bill, I take solace in knowing that I have saved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars from eating bulk snacks before they get weighed at the cash register.
So yes, I had a Lenten Sunday/Valentine's Day feast of candy, watching YouTube clips on my laptop with a friend. And it was pretty divine, until I crashed from the sugar and got a stomachache while pondering both the overwhelming, profound beauty of Charlie Chaplin's touching speech in The Dictator and my lifelong confusion about that mustache. And now it's time to get back on track again.
I’m not aspiring to be one of those people who eats three $100 celery seeds for dinner and brags about how wonderful and blessed I am on social media. But I am trying to indulge in life with a healthy amount of self-control and navigate what exactly that latter phrase means. Let's figure this out together.
Without further ado, here are some things I’m working on to be healthier now that the dust and glitter of Mardi Gras have settled, and my sugar fix has been satisfied for the time being.
-Time management and focusing
I’m working on not checking Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/Snapchat/texts and being sucked into the void of cat gifs and #DogsBeingBasic while I have some immediate task at hand. I’ve barely checked my phone at all* while writing this! If you’re constantly distracted like me, put your phone on Do Not Disturb or silence it for an hour and see how much you get done. It’s a good experiment.
*only twice in the past hour!
-Being more generous, especially when frustrated or annoyed
If someone or something pisses me off, I'm going to do something nice for someone else. You cut me off in traffic? Fine, jerk! I'm sending my best friend a care package!
-Curtailing the unnecessary spending
This is actually coming somewhat naturally to me, because I’m not inclined to buy costumes and I’m not allowing myself to buy pizza or go to happy hours during the week (What else do people spend money on?). Gummy bears though — I might make an occasional exception.
