The Health Chronicles: I Made An Adult Decision Yesterday

Listen To Your Body

This week at work has been incredibly busy. By the time I get home, I just want to charge my Apple Watch, watch a couple of things on TV, and pass out as soon as possible. The reasons why work was busy and stressful are not important, but it is something I want to improve at a place I mostly enjoy working at.

Anyway, this is not a work rant. However, earlier in the week a coworker of mine invited me and another coworker to go out and go dancing. Objectively, it would be an incredibly fun time. I love to dance, I enjoy socializing (in spurts lol), and it’s good to see some different walls for a change. Building habits is great, but you don’t want to bore yourself.

When she asked me about this earlier this week, I was a tentative yes. But, as the week went on and work became more of a stressor, I began to question going out. Couple that with some less than ideal sleep during the week, and I was dead tired. I also work Saturday mornings, so by the time I would get home, get ready, and then have to turn back around…there would be no rest for me that day.

So, I politely declined and said I’ll go the next time.

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Wait. Preston turning down a night out? Yeah…I know. It surprised me too. And it’s not the first time I have done so this year. Each time, maybe because it was Saturday and would be after a day of work, I have just said to myself, “Your body is telling you something…listen to it”. And I am so glad that I did.

I passed out early last night and got over 8 hours of sleep. I also probably saved a ton of money by just staying in as well. But, the biggest thing is that I feel rested today. I have not felt rested for a while now, at least not this week. I’m not saying I’ll keep being boring and turning down social gatherings in the future. In fact, by the time this article is published, I’ll be hanging out with an old friend today, but not in a loud setting like a dance club or bar.

I listened to my body. I am glad I feel rested. And as a result, I can’t wait to spend time with my friend this afternoon, and will be able to be incredibly productive beforehand. Including writing this article!

Now, some check ins.

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Did I drink last week? No, and I am also not sure I would have been able to say this had I gone out last night.

Did I have junk food? Yes, but it thankfully did not interrupt my sleep last night.

Average Walking Distance: 5.5 miles!!! I walked A TON last Sunday, so that helped. But I anticipate this will also continue to grow as the weather warms up.

Average Sleep Time: 6 Hours, 50 Minutes. Improvement from last week, though you’ll clearly see it hasn’t been the best. Last night really helped bump this up into something more respectable.

Screen Time: 5 Hours, 47 Minutes! Under 6 hours came a lot easier than anticipated, and I hope to continue this trend moving forward. The apps being used will also slightly change over time too (and for the better I think).

Average Notifications: 480. This is also down, but like I said most of them are from personal messages now so it’s not even that bad. Though, even those felt a bit overwhelming this week.

Average Pickups: 239. Also down, and also telling. DuckDuckGo is the “social media” because there’s a site I am on that doesn’t have an app but otherwise I pick up my phone to talk to people or for transit updates. I can live with that.

This week I’ll be starting a more regimented “diet” (aka stop buying bad food on a whim when you have savory healthy food at home). It’s hard when you’re off work and killing time because you got off in an awkward time period waiting for the bus and the work day was stressful. Either way, that’s just an excuse. So I will be making a more earnest effort to stop making my 7-11 walk through. Have a wonderful week everyone!