The theme for me this week has been consistency. In a major way.
On a physical level I’ve started to play around with HRV and the process has been truly insightful.
My usual ‘heart bursting, lay on the ground after a workout’ routine is pretty much non-existent now due to the aerobic base I am trying to build. This means, steadily working at a pace that does not exceed a certain heart rate which is calculated by subtracting your age from 180.
You’re probably wondering, “what’s there to be consistent about?”. Well, when you’re a go-getter like me you approach your whole life from an efficiency standpoint so when it came to my workouts, it was all about maxing the most amount of benefits in the shortest amount of time. Now, the verdict is still out since I’m in no way a professional endurance athlete, but I wanted to properly give this experiment a shot and see what, if any, changes may come about training your aerobic base. One thing is for sure, since I’m not trying to get the fastest time or the biggest sweat from my workouts, I actually enjoy rowing, running, and biking and even find myself meditatively breathing through the workouts at an even pace. THAT I love.
But I’m not going to lie… since my Loop doesn’t have a vibrate/alert feature when I reach my max heart rate I have found, when I have a chance to check, my heart rate to be a beat or two higher than my max… ok, 5… ok, fine… one time it was 10! While I’m not giving myself too hard of a time about this I am aiming to maintain a consistent interval in which I train… for now. 🙂
Now on a mental level the theme this week has been on the consistency of choosing where I focus my thoughts.
It is incredibly…and I mean INCREDIBLY easy to let your mind wander off to future scenarios, worst case scenarios, or worst yet, re-live the past scenarios. No bueno.
It’s not that we want to stay focused on these things but remember, when we begin this cycle something happens: momentum. And it takes something BIG to break the pattern.
I’ve learned that I needed to go back to my trusty inspiration journal to, well, get inspiration! What are some ways I break the pattern? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Hug a dog (yes, any dog you can find)
- Turn up one of your theme songs and dance to it, or if you’re in your car use your shoulders to do the shimmy
- Take 15 seconds to stare into your coffee or tea and truly revel in the simplicity of the moment
- Have a heart felt, real, vulnerable conversation with a family member or someone you trust
- Watch something that inspires you
- Put on your biggest smile and interact with a friend until the a genuine, big burst of laughter spills out of you
Thankfully, the beauty of thoughts is that in every moment we have the chance to choose again.
What are some ways you found the theme of consistency in your week? Any new habits or routines you’d like to carry forward into your weekend?
As always, namaste.