Recuperate is something we’ve all done in life whether it’s from a difficult season, illness, or exhaustion.
…Recently I felt the effects of a move where I had to take a break to recuperate.
…And why you may have missed me during my short break.
Well, I’m glad I’m back.
And I feel good NOW.
But before and during my move, I was exhausted as moves are exhausting.
It felt like a hangover everyday!
Every muscle in my body was at work packing, planning, or moving something from one corner to another.
…Oh, and I have a tendency to love a basket, pair of socks, or a mug as much as my television or comfy pillows.
So, making decisions for moving my things took a lot of care, planning, and effort… that was well worth it when I found a place for them in my new home.
…Which btw,I know this move challenge and the need to recuperate feeling VERY well, as I’ve moved every couple of years and sometimes sooner.
I’m happy about that choice, so I can experience more and new places in this life.
And I wouldn’t be in my new happy place if I didn’t make those other moves.
That’s how you and I are similar.
Oh, and let’s be real, I know I won’t be doing this physical moving in my 70s and 80s… most of us won’t.
So losing a couple weeks while able is worth the time and effort.
The biggest tradeoff for me was giving up routines like blogging.
I had no creative ideas coming in and out as everything was focused on successfully moving.
…And that gave me a creative mind break.
So I’m glad I took that time off from my weekly posts. And I’m even more glad I came back (and hopefully you are too!). 😊
I mean, we’re not machines…
We’re not meant to keep doing something just because our ego pride tells us we have to be 100% all the time in whatever that pursuit is… or else we’re not good enough.
Who says?
Breaking self-imposed strongholds holding us back and keeping us stuck is satisfying, and telling the Imposter to take a hike is so gratifying!
And breaking have-to-do patterns is healthy!
If nothing else from the 2020 pandemic, that’s a lesson we all can embrace.
Amen? 😊
And taking recuperating breaks through life transitions is part of our life’s journey and daily joys.
Breaks allow us to let go and breathe in new energy and inspiration, grow, and discover what matters most to us!
In those ways, growth and discovery can be the best definition of success.
…Amen to that!
And that’s EXACTLY what the doctor ordered for me in my move!
…Plus indulging in a little coffee o’clock latte day break in my new town helped.
When I felt so completely out of it from exhaustion being on go-go-go physical moving action for over a week, I was nursed back to life through daily joys.
Because I was completely wiped out.
My discombobulation (…a word I almost never use 😎) happened mostly because of an unexpected last-minute broken elevator that changed my move plans.
Suddenly I found myself taking 52 steps for each up flight and 52 steps down flight (…but who’s counting anyway!? 😜). Plus all the stairs I was leaving behind.
Feeling the pain meant I was alive and determined!
…Oh, and my poor movers had to endure that for a day too.
They didn’t have the emotional mental toll I had. It’s not the same when you’re doing it for others and emotionally detached.
…But it can be physically as taxing as it was for me.
…All in all, I raked up thousands of moving steps that was probably more steps than I’ve taken in all the mountain hikes I’ve accrued… where 300 steps plus the mile up was the comme d’habitude (usual way).
I have my daily Apple points as my witness. ⌚️
The points overflowed… and I not only met the goal, I think I ran an extra marathon. 🎯
That kind of abundance can only be a blessing from above.
Because I now have more gratitude for what my body-mind can do. 💪
And that was training ground for spring mountain hikes.
…Btw, I’m wondering why isn’t there a race sport for climbing steps? ⛰️
The Summit CBS reality competition show (…did you see it?) comes closest to the physical challenge I felt.
But anyway and thankfully… physical was the deepest challenge felt as there were no weather hindering events, other than rescheduling from a storm… and there were no social obstacles to climb besides skipping social media.
I gave up most my routines besides work and my yoga mat (more on that below).
Because during the move and finding time to recuperate, I was lucky if I slept a few hours without interrupted sleep.
The mind-body knows when life is interrupted.
Calming the mind-body is how to get those routines and good feelings back.
And using routines to relax is how to recuperate faster.
RELAXING THE MIND-BODy
Unrest is often at the heart of why you can’t sleep… It’s NOT the lack of sleep hours, but the turmoil of change and stress happening inside your body.
So the sooner you can get to the routines, that helps the Vata (aka wind or change) in each of us and grounds the mind-body.
The body likes routine or predictability.
But the mind like a challenge to never be bored.
So during transitions like a move, let them duke it out 😊… as YOU the person grows and is healthier on the other side! 🫵
…Where sometimes you can’t see when the finger is pointing back atcha until you’re calm again.
And that’s what I went through to restore after the move and when the unpacking was finally over.
After I calmed my mind, I could use that to help recuperate my body where I still felt daily worn aches.
RECUPERATING THE BODY
And rolling out the yoga mat from Day One was a NO-BRAINER.
Every day my back, arms, and legs burned.
…And where it hurt the most was my hamstrings.
Fave poses: Sitting Forward Bend, Plow Pose, Bridge Pose.
I was also ravishingly hungry (that’s par for the course as a Vata body).
And during this transition time, I was burning so many move calories every day.
…I couldn’t eat enough.
And I delighted in childhood foods like ramen noodles. And mixed it with plant-based adult foods like pea shoots and kohlrabi.
In my travels, I found my grocery stores (Aldi, Lidl, Whole Foods, and Harris Teeter to name a few).
And I found a walk-to farmers market.
…I mean, I couldn’t lose all the exercise I had just gained. 😊
…So I did a little of this and a little of that to get back to normal.
That was my way to recuperate and ease into my new post-move life.
And every time I had an idea for what to hang on my new home walls or rearrange into another drawer, I was putting my mind at ease and unleashing new ideas.
I was stirring up my creative juices again.
…And making fresh smoothies was part of that mix.
And of course, routine baking my way back to feeling like a human again.
There’s nothing like sweets that tell you you’re home! 🏠
