I am currently slogging my way through Camp NanoWriMo and bemoaning the fact that I did not get a single word written during Camp Nano in April. The self -flagellation reminds me that if I had only done the work in April I would be doing rewrites and edits instead of staring at a blank screen, trying to figure out what my outline notes meant.
Another worry for me has been nicknamed the Covid-15. That’s the fifteen pounds the average person gained in the first months of sheltering in place. I’d previously worked very hard to eat healthy meals, drink water, and exercise. But with the quarantine, the lethargy that affected my writing also affected my healthy habits. Months of sitting at a desk, followed by sitting on the sofa, and topped off by sitting at the dinner table, well, let’s just say I developed a fear of weighing myself. Eventually I had to face the fact that some of my clothes were uncomfortably tight.
I forced myself to the scales and was relieved to learn I’d only gained six pounds. It was still too much. Even worse was the result of sitting. Walking to the end of the driveway a couple of times a day just didn’t do the trick
My reasoning, such that it was, was that I deserved a break from work and good habits because it helped deal with the stress and worry of Covid-19. Things would be back to normal by summer.
Obviously, that hasn’t happened. Parts of the country reopened to devastating results, so the quarantine continues, at least in my state. My family continues to practice social distancing and #stayingathome.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the next leg of the pandemic can’t be the same as the first four months. I have set goals and planned baby steps for walking and exercising more, I’ve swapped my cola for water (most of the time), ceased eating so many carbs, and exchanged frozen veggies for fresh.
I’m also creeping my way through Camp Nano. I may not hit my goal, but I am writing every day. Those are great starts.
Now that things have lasted longer than we’d hoped, is there anything you’re going to do differently?
