Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Life is Better When You Shower

Last week I had a lazy week. I still got plenty done, but I wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about it as I could have been. For instance, there were a couple days that I stayed in my sweat pants all day. And maybe there was one day (that might have stretched into two days) where I didn't shower. Am I proud of this? A little. No.

The point is though, that at the end of those lazy days, I didn't feel nearly as good as I thought I would. I didn't sleep well those nights. I wasn't feeling great about myself. And I'm sure Dan was less than impressed (though, bless him, he didn't say anything).

In contrast, today I got up, showered, worked for half a day as a substitute teacher, had lunch with a friend, ran errands in town and did some grocery shopping. I feel awesome. I know that I'll sleep well tonight because I did something with my day. I know it won't win me the Nobel peace prize, but I'm really beginning to understand the importance of showering. Obviously, it's about much more than the physical shower. It's about taking care of myself and making the most of each day. Even though I'm not working at a job these days, I'm still a contributing member of society and of my household. When I treat myself as such, I feel a lot better about my place here. It makes me happier.

As these dark days of winter approach, this is something I'll need to keep reminding myself. Wake up and start each day like it matters.

3 comments:

  1. our HAWC (health and wellness center) here has a happy lamp. Sometimes just seeing sunshine (even fake) helps

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, I'm very familiar with the happy light. It's so dark here Dan's work actually issues one to everyone. I love it. It really does make a difference!

      Delete
  2. I hear you! I always feel like a "lazy day" will make me feel better than it actually does. Nothing beats a day where you feel like you have accomplished a lot. Some of those days actually manage to feel both productive and relaxing.

    ReplyDelete