Boredom and Awareness

I responded to this comment: “I feel like I need to try something different every day. I get bored easily when I do the same things all the time. How do I overcome this?“

Pay attention to one boring thing each day. If possible, pay attention to the same thing each day.

Really pay attention.

Watch every single aspect of what you’re doing. Say you’re washing your cup and bowl after breakfast. Don’t try to pretend that washing your bowl is the most important thing you can do, or that washing your bowl has great meaning. Just pay attention to it. Look at the shape of the bowl and the cup. Someone had to design every single aspect of each of them. They may be beautiful in and of themselves, but perhaps their beauty has escaped you before, or you once noticed that they are beautiful (say: when you were purchasing them), but you’ve forgotten to notice lately. The water & the scrubbing pad or washcloth have temperature and texture. You are breathing. There is so much to be aware of during the two minutes it takes to do this one chore. The chore is part of your life, and your life is valuable, so this small space in the morning also has some value. By paying attention to it, you’re becoming aware of the value.

Maybe you will not see a change right away, but I can pretty much guarantee you that if you pay close attention to this one chore every day, your perceptions will change. Over years, you might even change, perhaps a lot, by learning to see the value in this one small span of time in your day.

What are 5 exercises I can do using the stairs in my house?

  1. Stretches.
    1. Example: Keep one foot flat on floor leg straight, put other foot on second or third step and slowly lean forward.
    2. Example: Keep one foot flat on the floor. Put the other foot on the second or third step, and slowly bend your knee. This will give the heel of the lower foot a gentle stretch. 
    3. Example: Stand on edge of bottom step on the ball of one foot: let your heel gradually lower until you have a good stretch in your tendon. Alternate feet.
  2. Heel lifts, with or without additional weight. Similar to 1.3 above, but you alternately lower and raise your heel, standing on your toes. Hang onto the railing to maintain balance.
  3. Jumps: Hop, both feet together, onto the bottom step. Hop back down. Do 3 sets of 12. Gradually build up to hopping onto higher and higher steps. You will probably want to hang onto the railing to maintain balance.
  4. Use the stairs as aides to change the angle on your push-ups. You can start with your feet on the floor, and your hands on one of the higher steps. As you build your strength, you can work down the steps, and eventually end up with your hands on the floor, and your feet on the steps. You then gradually move your feet to higher steps, which changes the muscles that you engage during your push-ups.
  5. Seated dips. Sit on the bottom step and put your palms flat on the second step. Push down, straightening your arms. Lower yourself slowly until you’re about to sit on the step again, then repeat. Build up gradually.

How do you handle yourself mentally knowing you will gain weight during the holidays?

If you’re really upset at temporarily gaining a few pounds, just remember that your weight is not an ethical issue. You’re not poisoning babies or something equally bad.

Try to get some perspective on your situation. I mean that literally. Try to consider this problem as if it belonged to someone you care about, not you.

If you wouldn’t hate someone else for gaining 5 pounds that they’re going to lose after the holidays when they get back on track with their eating plans and workouts (or even if they don’t), then why would you hate yourself?

If it turns out that your real reason for being upset is that you’re angry at yourself for not reaching a goal or maintaining perfect self control, then I’d suggest learning some techniques for self forgiveness, and understand that if you berate yourself for not being perfect, you’re likely to have even worse results.

If you’re willing to read an article on ‘messing up,’ I suggest Stephen Guise’s article “The Hidden Cause of Downward Spirals.”

Remember: We’re not robots!