I don't like the idea of having to do exercise, and I can't mentally fit gym into my current schedule. I like seeing a number go up, so every day I make my "day" counter go up one tick, and then every time I've done my daily exercise routine I put another number in each category. It's so stupid but it works, and that's what's important. Bonus, I can do the exercises anytime, anywhere.
Now that I've quit my job as a teacher and moved to a different state, I am trying to manage having ADHD and working from home along with taking better care of my body. I lost 115 pounds since June and want to keep it off (MUCH less pain!) and I am motivated to lift weights because if I don't I will lose all of my muscle to the effects of rapid weight loss. However, it's hard. I can share what works for me, but that's not actually as important as underscoring this:
The only thing that will work for you is what works for you.
I think that's pretty much the golden rule for life. For you, exercising, cooking, etc. works better if you're motivated to do it for other people. For me, I get my butt to the gym because I hire a personal trainer, and I don't want to miss an appointment/disappoint someone/waste all that money. I dearly wish I could exercise without such an expenditure of money, but I can't, and needs must. (I don't do cardio at all except for dance class, which I have just barely begun.)
I am worried about working from home because my brain can so quickly go whirling off into "I spent three hours doing what??"-land, so I figure I'm going to need extra people to be accountable to. When I was a teacher, I had a very rigid schedule, so that part was easy, but I went from that to no schedule at all, and creating a work-life balance is going to be a challenge. Right now I'm starting with the rule After Dinner Is Family Time. I give myself 1-2 hours to get going in the morning, depending on showers/gym/weekends, and then I work. I'm going to need to find a rule for weekends, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Congrats on the move and getting to a point where you're in less pain! I've honestly been considering getting a personal trainer myself, to help with safe weight lifting, but haven't had a chance to fit it into my schedule -- I have recess duty at my son's school and I only just changed the day of the week, but I'm hoping to add that in soon.
I feel you on the rigidity of the teaching schedule being helpful... part of the reason I've had so much trouble exercising is that I've never needed to have a habit of it before -- I walked around my classroom all day!
After Dinner is Family Time is a big one for me too. I sometimes wish I could manage "screen free" but I like to read too much!
Speaking of ultramarathoners. There are the Tendai monks in Japan who participated in the Kaihogyo challenge. I revisited their story earlier this evening while cleaning out my vault. It was in an article by James Clear, titled: "If You Commit to Nothing, You’ll Be Distracted By Everything" https://jamesclear.com/mental-toughness-marathon-monks Just thought I'd share.
I don't like the idea of having to do exercise, and I can't mentally fit gym into my current schedule. I like seeing a number go up, so every day I make my "day" counter go up one tick, and then every time I've done my daily exercise routine I put another number in each category. It's so stupid but it works, and that's what's important. Bonus, I can do the exercises anytime, anywhere.
I'm so glad to hear you found a method that works!!
That was very inspiring and might help me overcome my trouble with exercising, too. Thanks alot for sharing!
Now that I've quit my job as a teacher and moved to a different state, I am trying to manage having ADHD and working from home along with taking better care of my body. I lost 115 pounds since June and want to keep it off (MUCH less pain!) and I am motivated to lift weights because if I don't I will lose all of my muscle to the effects of rapid weight loss. However, it's hard. I can share what works for me, but that's not actually as important as underscoring this:
The only thing that will work for you is what works for you.
I think that's pretty much the golden rule for life. For you, exercising, cooking, etc. works better if you're motivated to do it for other people. For me, I get my butt to the gym because I hire a personal trainer, and I don't want to miss an appointment/disappoint someone/waste all that money. I dearly wish I could exercise without such an expenditure of money, but I can't, and needs must. (I don't do cardio at all except for dance class, which I have just barely begun.)
I am worried about working from home because my brain can so quickly go whirling off into "I spent three hours doing what??"-land, so I figure I'm going to need extra people to be accountable to. When I was a teacher, I had a very rigid schedule, so that part was easy, but I went from that to no schedule at all, and creating a work-life balance is going to be a challenge. Right now I'm starting with the rule After Dinner Is Family Time. I give myself 1-2 hours to get going in the morning, depending on showers/gym/weekends, and then I work. I'm going to need to find a rule for weekends, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
Congrats on the move and getting to a point where you're in less pain! I've honestly been considering getting a personal trainer myself, to help with safe weight lifting, but haven't had a chance to fit it into my schedule -- I have recess duty at my son's school and I only just changed the day of the week, but I'm hoping to add that in soon.
I feel you on the rigidity of the teaching schedule being helpful... part of the reason I've had so much trouble exercising is that I've never needed to have a habit of it before -- I walked around my classroom all day!
After Dinner is Family Time is a big one for me too. I sometimes wish I could manage "screen free" but I like to read too much!
Speaking of ultramarathoners. There are the Tendai monks in Japan who participated in the Kaihogyo challenge. I revisited their story earlier this evening while cleaning out my vault. It was in an article by James Clear, titled: "If You Commit to Nothing, You’ll Be Distracted By Everything" https://jamesclear.com/mental-toughness-marathon-monks Just thought I'd share.