Wherever you go, there YOU are

Somehow when I started writing about what I learned in college about time management, this list morphed into simply what I learned in college to help me succeed in life.  So this series has now become more about life management.

I gave you two tools already for looking at your time and being ready to strategically direct your energy. Then last week we covered how important it is to add people to your plans. It has an amplifying effect because you are wanting to repeat the behavior of the people that surround you. That is normal behavior for that group. So, that’s why you choose your people carefully.

The topic for today is about the common denominator in all that you ever do: YOU!

I learned from a little phenomenon called the “Freshman Fifteen.” It’s what is expected to happen when newly-launched teenagers who don’t have anyone else providing or monitoring their food get total freedom to eat what they want when they want, and in whatever quantities they can; thereby gaining an average of fifteen pounds.

I wasn’t planning what or when I was eating. So I would grab the easy and the cheap. I was eating mindlessly. Sometimes I would forget to eat and be popping chocolate-covered espresso beans from the coffee shop. I would eat when food was provided for some event. (Newsflash: mass feedings are usually kept affordable with food that is low on the nutrition scale.) Turns out being surrounded by other poor college students wanting to score free food was amplifying that habit!

That first year I ate poorly, but also didn’t sleep enough or move much. Thank God for all the walking to classes, or it really would have been the “Freshman Forty.”

I think I did the best when I was eating with my small group of study partners. When dinner was a part of our time together, it was more likely to be a more sensible meal. At the least, it was less rushed because we were eating together. I ate slower, and we had conversations, even if it was about our project or homework.

I also got to cook with suite-mates and roommates. We learned to make one another’s favorites and made eating about more than just stuffing calories into our faces. 

Of course, gathering socially around food will likely always be a part of life. Breaking bread with others is a good thing. We just need to be mindful.  

Now that I think of it, I still say pizza is my favorite food. Feeding college students with pizza is a tried and true way to gather a crowd.

Self Care

So I learned that I had to take care of myself.  I wasn’t proactively thinking about any of that–sleeping, moving, eating, or recharging. “Self Care” wasn’t the topic it is today. Nonetheless, it is a practice that has been going on for as long as we’ve had bodies. We have to feed and maintain ourselves–bodies and minds and souls–if we want to be healthy.

Some of it was worked into the stage of life. I was walking everywhere and didn’t have to sit in one spot for too long.  I took classes to satisfy my physical education requirement so I met people that continued to meet at the gym. I joined a dance company for fun and friendship. I used elevators infrequently. Although I do remember an astronomy lecture on the 20-something floor that I definitely took the elevator up to!

Emotionally, I was surrounded by peers that were also trying to figure college out. We commiserated together when things were hard, and we helped each other as best we knew how. We missed each other when we weren’t in our usual spots in the classes or lectures. We urged one another to take breaks and sit in the sun. I’m so grateful for how my mental health was attended to when we didn’t even realize that’s what we needed.

How it helps me as an adult

It is still tempting to reach for the easy and cheap food that isn’t the best for me–particularly when I’m running errands and realize I haven’t eaten. Honestly, this is still a struggle. But the people that are influencing me now live under my roof. I want to eat well and feed them well. 

I want to take care of myself so that I can do the work I’m called to do. I want to eat well and regularly, prioritize sleep, and not forget to get regular movement and sunshine. In the different seasons of my life, I have tried different techniques to work these things into my routine. 

I try to plan and prepare meals. I’ve set alarms to get out from behind my desk. I’ve joined with friends to train for races or simply walk. I still ask friends to check that I got some sort of movement. That is one of the areas of my life that evaluate every single week and tweak when I see I need to do a better job.

This is a foundational thing. If I break down because I’ve neglected myself, then all the things I plan to do for myself and others, will not happen. So what good is it to plan if the person that has to execute those plans isn’t able to do so? I want to be healthy, grow old well, enjoy life, and make an impact as long as possible.

What helps me most is my attitude about it. It is FUEL to do the work I’m called to do. I cannot think of self-care as a reward or as a luxury.  It is a top priority.

How it can help you

There are so many resources available these days to help you take care of your physical and mental self. Ask those close to you to help you make a plan and stick to it. 

Don’t neglect to care for yourself–whether it’s joining a specific group, setting alarms, using apps to remind you to drink water, or creating a bedtime routine so that you unwind your day and get good sleep.

I recommend starting with sleep. You need more of it than you realize. Seriously, so much research is out there about how impaired we are when we get too little sleep. All-nighters are nothing to brag about. 

Here are some areas to consider as FOUNDATIONAL ingredients to a healthy and fulfilled life. How will you make plans in your days and weeks to get the things from this list?

• Sleep

• Hydration

• Movement

• Time outside

• Nutritious Food

• Human Connection

• Joy-filled activities that recharge you

• Purpose-filled work that motivates you

This list, of course, isn’t exhaustive, but a place to start and evaluate how you’re doing. 

This feeds back to our very first tool of having a healthy template - you need to create times in your day and week when you plug in these kinds of activities.

Reach out if you want help designing a template that sets you up for success.