22 Minutes a Day
Whenever the new year rolls around, I have a hard time keeping my resolutions. My problem is that I’m curious about almost everything. For example, how does electricity work? All right, I must admit that I take some things for granted. In my teens when my car broke down, I had a dad who was a mechanic so I didn’t need to know how to fix it. I needed to know how to style my hair, apply makeup or where to get the latest cute pair of jeans or shoes. I never thought much about things that mattered like global warming, although I did have to hug a tree in high school for an assignment. However, the whole time I kept thinking about the wood ticks and spiders that might crawl on me. To me, carbon footprint meant stepping on the sheet you put in the typewriter to make a copy. Okay, this was the seventies.
I spend less time worrying about the latest fashions or working on my appearance these days, but in actuality I probably should be buying stock in wrinkle cream! Did you know that even your ear lobes get wrinkles? These days I get more out of helping others. Whether it’s preparing food for the family, running a child to college or even making a meal for a sick friend, there’s always something to do. And that’s all good—but at times I find I’m not taking care of myself properly. It seems like in the beginning of the year I find myself looking at all sorts of magazine articles on the perfect diet, exercise or meditation. The new year feels like a fresh start, but the enthusiasm to improve often doesn’t last long enough. I get distracted.
I wish I had an remote starter like my car does. It has good sense technology and turns itself off after 15 minutes. I imagine it saying, “No sense wasting gas on her.” I was probably looking at Facebook or hunting down a missing shoe, and by then my car is cold and I start all over again. I’m not absentminded, but get distracted because I’m just too curious about everything.
New starts need new habits. My heart doctor said the average adult needs 150 minutes of moving or exercise a week. That doesn’t sound as bad as exercising five times a week. So my New Year’s resolution is to do 22 minutes of moving each day, which isn’t too hard. I helped a friend reorganize her kitchen, and then I cleaned my own desk. I got that 22 minutes in for sure. Today I did the treadmill, which used to be boring, but time flies by when you can watch the Golden Buzzer Moments on YouTube. It’s a new day—I’ve got closets to clean, bathrooms to scrub, and there’s always something else to do around my house that takes 22 minutes. My husband has suggestions for me if I can’t think of anything. I don’t think he’s bothered by my wrinkled ear lobes at all! What are you going to do for 22 minutes today? Just curious ...
Brenda Elsagher is a loud and proud member of the ostomy community and a good friend of Hollister Incorporated. She is an international keynote speaker, author and comedian.
Her books include: If the Battle is Over, Why am I Still in Uniform?; I’d Like to Buy a Bowel Please!; Bedpan Banter; It’s in the Bag and Under the Covers; and Your Glasses Are on Top of Your Head. You can find out more about her at livingandlaughing.com.
Financial Disclosure: Brenda received compensation from Hollister Incorporated for her contribution to this eNewsletter.
