Health Swap: Roller Coaster

August is usually the month of county fairs offering the entertainment of animals, trackers, junk food and the rides for the kids. The roller coaster is the one that comes to mind for me. Personally, I am not a fan of roller coasters since they make me physically sick. I am a wimp when it comes to anything that moves. My husband would know this best; thirty-two years ago my husband thought he would surprise me by getting tickets to Cedar Point in Ohio. Little did he know at the time - that was not a good idea. We have pictures of him riding the roller coaster with a young boy and me on the ground. But the funniest part of this story - those were honeymoon pictures that I am referring to.

Even though I do not like roller coasters, it may best describe my life at the moment. Recently, I quit my job with hospice to assist my parents. Many people have made comments concerning this decision to include the following: "Retiring at your age, that's pretty good!"; "What will you do with yourself now?" One friend said, "I can't afford to retire - I don't have enough time." The last of those statements has turned out to be true. I don't have enough time. My life has become a roller coaster because I never know when the next sharp unexpected turn might come.

Even though it gives me great satisfaction to help my parents, I have uncovered an unexpected problem that lingers in front of me daily. Who would have thought that after four years of keeping my weight off that I would have to once again face the "lie". The lie of turning to food to make me happy.

The second part of the problem comes with time management. Instead of daily time slots through the day to finish tasks, I now find that I have a bunch of time slots throughout the day where I don't finish tasks. So, I find I must return to some things more than once to get them done. Even this last scenario has sent me looking for candy, in order to give me comfort during confusion.

So, what is the answer? DISCIPLINE with a PLAN

After many weeks of experimenting, I think I have found the solution. I have decided to begin every morning with exercise which gives me the sense of accomplishment that I need for the day. If nothing else comes together like I plan for the day, I have at least taken the time to care for my physical self. This activity is followed by a cup of coffee and a note pad to make my list of tasks for the day. The list gives me the focal point to which I can return later in the day and reminds me of where I left off and where to return to. I then finish my day with the exercise class, late super and time with my hubby.