The Health Chronicles: Some Things are Easier to Fix than Others
Time to get Serious About My Main Issue
A lot of times when it comes to illnesses/conditions, people talk about only what they see. They talk about what affects them. They talk about the tropes that make it easier to write someone off as “just another one of those people” and then they’re done with it.
To be fair, we do this with a lot of stuff. We live in a world where things move so quickly and are thrown in our faces so much that it’s hard to engage in critical thinking. The people in power just want your impulse, immediate reaction, and have that drive how you feel. That leads to irrational and often more visceral reactions and thoughts.
But this isn’t an article about that I promise. I have plenty of those elsewhere.
There are characteristics one could use to “describe” me at a surface level if they were to take a birds eye view and wanted to paint a completely negative light. While they might seem correct from far away, it would not get to the root of what I am learning is my true kryptonite.
I am impulsive. And what’s worse, I am also overbearingly meticulous bordering on OCD.
These two dichotomies are one of many reasons I NEED to get my brain scanned to see what’s going on there haha.
But it is my impulsivity that leads to decisions that I would not otherwise make. When one is under the influence of a mind altering substance such as alcohol, this is of course heightened. And I know first hand how destructive that can be. But since taking my sabbatical from drinking, my impulsivity has reared its ugly head in another way. I keep buying junk food after work.
To be fair, it is not a daily thing. But when I get off work later than usual and miss my connecting bus, I will sometimes find myself at the 7-11 wasting time by buying some junk food I do not need. I think it’s a “reward” after a stressful work day, but I know it’s just an impulse. Half the time I’m not even hungry.
And honestly, I know that sugar and other chemicals in unhealthy food are as powerful of an addiction as any other drug, if not more so.
So this is the next hurdle on my health journey. I need to curb this particular impulsive habit. I am currently working on what will be a change in living situation. A shorter commute and more “regular” living accommodations will help with a lot of things. But even with those, the 7-11/junk food will still be there. It’s on me to remain focused on my goals, and the things I can do to meet them.
Thankfully, I am doing so in tangible ways. And with that, let’s do some check-ins.
Did I drink last week? No.
Did I have junk food? Yes.
Average Walking Distance: 4.7 Miles. Warmer weather is upon us. No more excuses.
Average Sleep Time: 7 Hours 21 Minutes! Despite my terrible sleep on Friday (as you can see below) I still completely crushed prioritizing sleep last week! It’ll be harder this week with a shifted work schedule but I am hoping to keep this up!
Screen Time: 5 Hours, 26 Minutes. I’d love to keep having this go down but I also want to be kind to myself. Plenty of people would kill to have phone screen time look like this, and I should be thankful I am cognizant of what mine is. Besides, the bulk of it is not spent on social media which is a win in my book.
Average Pickups: 210. All for talking to people, and pretty much none for social media. Again, small wins.
Average Notifications: 417. Sports scores and personal messages are pretty much all I get. Even those Twitter notifications are softball scores for the most part, and those don’t pop up on my lock screen. I’d be very interested to see what the notification numbers look like for people who don’t mute theirs on the phones. That just seems like it would be overwhelming.
So, it’s time to get serious about impulsivity. I am doing well with prepping my food for the week and I am prepping enough to keep me full. It’s now on me to have the discipline to stick to the (objectively) healthy and tasty food that I do have for myself. Once I start doing this, I am sure I’ll be seeing and feeling the results I want. Have a wonderful week!
Thank you for reading Preston’s Eclectic Musings. Any support whether that be a like, share, comment, or subscription is always appreciated.
Or, if you’d like to send me some sustenance in the form of a healthy beverage, consider buying me a “coffee” (Tea!) instead!
