What a difference a week makes!

It was only seven days ago I was heading home to New York after one of my more “relaxing” business trips in recent memory. Unfortunately, the professional and personal chaos that erupted since then has been simply exhausting. However, If you’re a repeat reader here at LauraLovesFitness, you know it’s not my style to harp on the negative – and I’m certainly not about to start today.

Instead, I want to focus on something I’ve been working on improving in my life  – and that’s recognizing when the things that normally make you happy become a burden. I’m learning – albeit slowly – when that happens, it’s definitely time to take a step back and examine what’s on your plate.

It amazes me how willing we are to remove some high-caloric items from our diet in an effort to shed a few pounds, but we’re not so willing to remove the extras when it comes to shedding the stress. Unfortunately, not taking the time to remove one or two things from our never-ending to-do lists can eventually be harmful to our mental and emotional health.

In my case, exercise has always provided a steady boost of positive energy even when life pitches those inevitable curve balls. Since last July, writing this blog has also been a great outlet for some of my nervous energy. Then this week, I had a couple of days  when the thought of working out or writing a post became overwhelming. So here’s what happened:

• I did NOT get to the gym Monday: I had to choose between a normal “hard-core” work out before getting to an evening appointment or burning a few calories on a less-intense walk home and prepping for a busy Tuesday so I could get home from my appointment and get to sleep at a reasonable hour. While I hated “bailing” on the high-intensity cardio burn, I knew my body needed rest and sleep in a big way. So, I opted for the walk and an earlier turn-in time.
• I CANCELLED on a personal training client Tuesday night: I woke up Tuesday morning feeling lousy with a sore throat and sniffles.Then my edit session at work turned into a more intense situation than planned, as did the follow ups I had to schedule with a couple of doctors. (Everything’s fine, by the way) You know what? My client, Kristen, thanked me for not wanting to get her sick, told me to feel better and rescheduled.
• I DID make plans to meet up with a gal pal for drinks after work Thursday night. Sometimes a glass of wine and a few laughs with friends is just what you need!

I think it’s important for all of us to realize saying no to something doesn’t make you weak. Instead, maybe one of the strongest decisions we can make is to figure out a way to focus on you for awhile – whether it’s for an hour or a whole evening.

So as we head into the weekend, I hope everyone – especially all you moms! – finds some time to have fun, be fit and feel fabulous!