It seems to me that every five or six years I fall into a void where I float around in out space waiting for the next Starship Enterprise to fly by and point me in the right direction. Well, I’m in one of those voids again, not really sure which dimension I will land in, but have had fun exploring the various intergalactic experiences nonetheless. You must be thinking I have had one glass too many, but the truth is quite the opposite.
Five weeks ago I reacquainted myself with an old friend – intermittent fasting (IF). We have history with one another, and needless to say we parted ways on a sad and disappointed note. When I did the research again after Easter, I had to snicker at the fact that in order to embark on IF again, I needed to adjust the parameters in order for my body to cope effectively, i.e. based on my age, gender and being post-menopausal. Hmmm, feeling old much? Much to my horror I found myself basically in the senior category of the 55+ but in doing so, I realised that the only option open to me is the daily 16/8 model, which means I can eat within a window of eight hours and then fast for the next 16. It sounds daunting at first but when you consider that the 16 hours is at night when you sleep anyway, it works just fine.
The first four days were a challenge, but with the help of alarms and a truckload of self-discipline, it all fell into place. I slipped into a comfortable routine of stopping all meals at 16:00 and have a brunch the next morning any time after 09:00. I allow myself a cheat day once a week and let me say that it is doing wonders for the body and psyche, not to mention that it has regulated the blood pressure as well and the insomnia has decreased significantly, which is something I’ve been struggling with for almost a year now.
The first month I didn’t experience any side effects but entering the second month I began to experience increased lethargy, which meant I was slacking on my water / liquid intake. Mind you, the eight hour window doesn’t mean that you can eat anything you jolly well want. Sure, you don’t have to count calories or anything of the sort, but I make sure to stick to my 90% vegetarian diet with the rare indulgence of fish or chicken once a month or so. The only “naughty” snack I have on my cheat day is popcorn, but other than that you won’t find crackers, cookies, ice cream or candy in the house. I’ve decreased my rice and bread intake, and rotate regularly between polenta, tortilla (I make them from scratch), pasta and potato for the carbohydrate intake, and stick to beans, milk products and eggs for protein.
But let’s go back to the original topic of floating around in The Void. The question I asked myself over and over was “What do you hope to achieve once you land?” Here’s where the the IF came in to provide me with a physical answer to a psychological question. I am in search of balance and want to restore the equilibrium in my life. In order to do so I need to address body, mind and spirit, as well as financial stability. I never choose the easy road and more often than not I end up berating myself for it because of all the speed bumps I encounter along the way, but the learning curve is so much better when you have no idea what is waiting around the next corner. If it doesn’t work out, pick yourself up, dust off and move on. Yes, it’s as simple as that. Don’t dwell on it.
The greatest challenge I posed to myself was to distance myself from the pressure of having to be 100% productive and be constantly on the go. This comes from years of social conditioning of needing to meet the obligatory milestones of getting a degree, find a job, get married, start a family, be the perfect spouse and parent, be the dutiful daughter, and the list goes on. When I quit my job last year I felt horribly guilty for having so much time on my hands all of a sudden and the guilt increased when things didn’t go according to plan (that’s a story for another day). In hindsight, having the rug pulled from under me was the best thing that could have happened, because I gave myself the gift of time and serenity.
I battled endlessly with the nagging guilt of not being as prolific with my photography or book writing in 2024, but the truth is, when you are walking down a new path, certain companions need to remain silent for the journey in order for them to become more effective and have a greater impact when the time is right again. Calling a spade a spade, I am not ashamed to admit that there were extended periods where I just didn’t have the mindset for them, because I was too busy with new discoveries. Isn’t that the whole point of space travel?
June has arrived and what do I have to show for it thus far? Well, three Master Coach certifications (each master certification entails four individual certifications), a new project that I will be launching in July, a re-branding of the coaching business that is underway as a joint venture, a load of new recipes that I experimented with in the kitchen, hours and hours of Reiki and meditation, and even more hours of reading accomplished (who knew that dark mafia romance would be my thing as well as the whole Regency Romance books – a throwback to the days of my youth when I was obsessed with Barbara Cartland books). Call it enlightenment, re-setting or re-building but at the end of the day it boils down to six fundamental components that I need for my general well-being and make sure I address every day: home, creativity, something new, finances, family, and spirit.
Structure and a strict schedule works for some but not for me. I wake up every morning and only plan my breakfast. Beyond that I go where the spirit leads me, no pressure, no deadline, armed only with mindfulness and desire to savour every step. Some might say this is too wishy washy, and I am not trying to preach anything here, simply sharing my journey and if any of this resonates with you, then by all means give it a try – when the time is right, your body and soul will let you know, but when they do, don’t ignore the signs or messages. The only take-away you should have from all this rambling is this: change your routine, it will change your life.
I leave you with a single image that sums it all up for me:
This is one of the Nile lilies from my garden. They are blossoming in abundance this year and convey the sentiment of my current journey.
FrogDiva Thoughts 