Beach
I definitely take living near the beach for granted.
Monday night, I stayed overnight at a resort that likely will be the location for BLPA Live. I didn’t feel like I wanted to commit to a hotel without experiencing it first hand!
It was great. I am now just crunching numbers to ensure I can make it work. Fingers crossed, because it felt like a wonderful place to unwind and reflect and PLAN.
Filling Your Time . . .
I feel pretty busy lately. But I generally like all of the things I am doing with my time. I feel like ‘wasted’ time is a rarity for the first time in many years.
This (vintage!) episode of BLP discusses the concept of crowding out bad habits. For me, there are 3 elements that seem to help me feel like I am using my days well:
- Cultivating awareness of what I want/need to be doing by creating a daily plan and writing it out. This isn’t just about drawing a pretty timeline (though I do find that fun). It’s seeing the day laid out in a visual format.
- Having enough going on — and some balance of fun/for me activities vs work/for others activities that the daily plan above ends up fairly . . . full. I don’t mean flitting from one activity to another, but for example — if I know there is a 1 hour block of empty time, I have enough on my list that feels compelling to fill those minutes in a way that is either productive, relaxing, enjoyable, or some combination of those.
- NOT having super tempting dopamine-producing options readily available. I failed to eliminate scroll time until I got off of social media entirely. This may not apply to everyone but it was definitely a key for me!
Anyway! The change of scenery was lovely and I got a lot done. Today it’s back to clinical work as usual. It is a running REST DAY which means I got some extra sleep and will give my legs some recovery time, which is exciting in its own way. That said, last Weds (also a rest day) I noted that I was a bit more touchy/reactive than usual and I totally think it is missing my usual run. So maybe the awareness may help . . .
5 Comments
That sunrise – and calm water – looks lovely so I can only imagine the real-life beauty of it all!
I’m just…so happy for you, Sarah!! I love how you’ve found a great new balance between your medical career, creative career, and happiness-boosting hobbies.
That view is gorgeous! What a fun little mid-week getaway! That is something I would love to do. I used to sleep terribly in hotels but since having kids, I usually sleep extremely well since I am not listening for a toddler to wake during the night. 😉
I’ll forever credit you for inspiring me to leave social media. It has definitely had a really positive impact on my life!!
Beautiful view! It looks like the water is just coming right up to where you are, as if you were on a ship. Maybe 2024- a SHU BLP cruise retreat?! haha!
beautiful view! I love beach view, it brings so much calm. and my favorite time of the day is sunset.
I feel the same about time, I don’t need to fill it with productivity related things to get it done, but at the same time I love how I spend my time now.. work when needed, rest when needed, and fun when I feel like.
What an amazing view! Someday I hope to live where I can see the sunrise and set over the ocean each day.