What keeps me grounded...
- Gina J.
- Apr 12, 2018
- 8 min read
Here’s a long one, folks!!
I’ve talked a little bit about growth here. Not into too much detail, but much like any flower or plant, that takes time, and to be honest, I don’t know you yet!! Jeez, don’t move so fast!
I haven’t gotten into too much detail about what keeps me grounded though. So, let’s delve a little deeper into that, shall we?
In today’s day and age the influx of information, responsibilities and pressures are downright overwhelming. Because we’re all glued to our phones and have instantaneous, real-time access to live news streams, celebrity gossip, looking at pictures of cute puppies, starting Twitter wars, and checking up on our friends, we are bombarded. As a society, we’re becoming more likely to check the weather forecast on Facebook instead of looking outside. As far as responsibilities, good lordddddd! As a mother of two, a wife, a dog mom, a cat mom, a chicken mom, an employee where my job is to do everything that no one else wants to do, and a friend that’s trying to keep up with play dates, girl time, wine-o-clock, eat my veggies and drink my water, and somehow not CRASH before bedtime, that gets a little… hectic. And don’t you dare do ANY of that, post anything, or let your friends come over with a dirty house, your sinks better be pristine, your floors better be so clean you can eat off of them, and every room needs to be perfectly picked up with decor arranged and put together like something out Chip and Joanna’s Silo district, or like Hobby Lobby exploded in your den. Before you post that picture of your daughter getting into the flour container of the lazy susan, you’d better make sure that there isn’t any sign of grime on the cabinets despite the fact that the shot itself is already messy, or of your oldest daughter riding her bike in the yard that may, or may not, have piles and piles of dog poo, or maybe a bottle or two that fell out of the recycling bin. You absolutely can.not.look.dirty.
That booger on your baby’s nose, wiped, then snap! And praise you, if you capture the elusive unicorn of a picture where it’s just a matter of timing, and you snap a picture when your child is actually screaming their head off, but in the photo looks like they’re smiling. You the real M.V.P.’s!! You’ve got to appear healthy, and check in every single time you to go the gym (guilty) or snap that mirror selfie (guilty again), screenshot your workout (okay guilty AF) or else, people will just assume you don’t ever workout. Facts, people. Facts. **sarcasm** A selfie, needs to be done in the perfect lighting, and #NoFilter, even if you buffed a little. Any pictures of you with others need to be taken on your good side and working those angles.
I digress though. And really, this is only MY opinion. This doesn’t apply to everyone. There are people that give zero F’s about pressure and societal expectations. Again, you the real M.V.P.’s …
The pressures to create a seemingly perfect life on Social Media and in real life are insane, and no, you actually don’t have to post anything, or check in, or participate in any online forum. But, with the evolution of technology, it’s a lot harder to do things without it. I mean heck, physical currency is becoming dated, thanks to plastic cards that used to have a convenient magnetic strip on them, but now have an “extra-secure” chip that NEVER works. So, technology is trendy, and as far as I can see, not going anywhere. That’s when pressures to be “up on technology” and all of the platforms becomes increasingly important. Companies left and right are becoming paperless and using remote technology to save on costs, and that means that employees have to know how to use the technology in order to do their job effectively and efficiently. Classes, software and training is on the rise for this. So, people then feel pressured at work, and in their personal life. It just is insane. Of course, it all appeals to our sense of vanity, value and validation to some degree, and that jazzes some people, while others could care less. It truly is all personal preference.
What’s also personal preference is how we deal with pressures, anxieties, responsibilities, etc., that’s where GROUNDING comes into play. And not everyone does the same to feel grounded. As all of the societal, employer-related, and familial expectations try to sweep us away, we do what we can to remain anchored to what makes us, well, us. For some, grounding could be talk therapy, utilizing their creative license and tapping into the arts and self -expression, it could come in the form of that glass of Mommy/Daddy Juice at the end of the day (no judging if it happens before the clock turns to the PM hours), eating that savory piece of chocolate, hell, it can even be relaxing with an edible and a few hits of the MJ (again, no judging). For me, and a lot of others, it comes in the form of exercise and physical activity. There’s something so calming about putting my physical/mental/emotional energy into a workout, and feeling physically exhausted after, but mentally clear. I love the feeling of literally burning stress, by burning calories. Now, I’ll admit, after Blair, I’ve been very inconsistent but still like to push that little button on races and events that says “register now,” I’ve become more selective, but it keeps me going. I love having a reason to train, and a reason to keep going and a reason to take time for myself (even if that time involves one child on my hip, and another by my side, copying every move I make. I appreciate every aspect of fitness, and love pushing my body to a certain limit that only makes me feel stronger as the days go on. There’s something to be said about being able to lift a certain amount of weight, or run a mile in a certain time, and being able to feel connected to your body and truly seeing what it is capable of. I am one of those people that love running, lifting, classes, even yoga on occasion and appreciate those that do all that, plus CrossFit or Power lifting, and have found something that their soul has needed to help keep them grounded and connected to themselves, the earth, and relieve stresses coming at them from 360 degrees.
Stress happens, there are triggers every day for everyone and those triggers are all different. A child that’s reluctant to put their shoes on after already being asked 2,309 times, and the same child requesting spaghetti with butter for the 4th night in a row for dinner, your boss asking you to change an S.O.P. again, and your significant other being upset they have to do laundry for the 25th time this week and asking us all why we need to wear clothes. Or, the never-ending battle of staring at your cupboards and planning an all-organic, gourmet meal your children are sure to eat, only to actually have cereal for dinner. #BeenThereDoneThat My workouts are my time that even if they’re not always done by myself, are for myself. The sweat, the elevated heart rate, the muscle burn, are all what force me to focus on me, not the girls, not my husband, not work, not the dogs, just me. It re-centers my soul and lets me release all of the negative tension I’ve built up in my body throughout the day. Even if it is just a half an hour, that half an hour of sweat and swear words are what bring me back to my center. Every breath, every rep, every stride helps me rid my body and mind of negativity, and exhaust myself of that energy, and leave me feeling strong, sweaty and my soul fed with positivity. The adrenaline and endorphins rushing through my blood stream are the reward during the workout, but the feeling of accomplishment after is even more rewarding. I know it sounds a little crazy, but I can feel the rush of positive energy (ie. Adrenaline and endorphins) move through my body, into my head, heart, and through my feet and create that steadiness we all seek in life (it could also be my legs shaking from squats and running, but we’ll go with the former option for the sake of the blog). There are graphics and memes regarding a workout as being one’s “happy hour at the bar,” and since I’m not a huge drinker anymore this couldn’t be truer. There are also quotes related to a workout being equivalent to a therapy session and a weight or the road being an actual therapist. If you look at any t-shirt shop on Etsy, they’re there. And, if it’s not always Facebook official, complete with a gym check -in or workout summary, the motivational t-shirt says it all. But humor aside, it’s true. For some, that glass of wine at the end of the day is what they need to keep negative emotions at bay, or totally disconnecting from reality and sitting, curled up with a book. Different things work for different people (as explicitly stated numerous times), having this outlet to keep me grounded is invaluable. If I go too long without a workout or physical activity, I can feel myself hold onto tension. I become snappy, irritable, and constricted. I start to become angry about things I normally wouldn’t bat an eyelash at. Mind you, I’m a very patient person. I do over think and internalize EVERYTHING! I’m my own worst critic and my self-talk is probably more negative than not and working out helps me be mindful of my body image and dysmorphia (I’ll also get to that at some point and my journey living with an image disorder). But, when I’m in my element, I’m strong, capable and mama ain’t got time fo’ no negativity. I throw on my running shoes, my playlist, my running app (because, FB officialness) and disconnect to reconnect. Even in a race, I don’t race to compete with others, I race to compete with myself, and beat my personal best. Personal Records add a little more fuel to my fire. I know I’m not the strongest, nor the fastest, so I don’t stack up to the competition at.all. I try to compete with my past and push my limits further in the now, so I have even bigger goals to reach in the future and keep it all enjoyable.
In all honesty, conveying and accurately representing that feeling I do get after a workout is definitely challenging. It’s like when you go to the Grand Canyon and trying get a picture that truly captures the grandeur and beauty of a natural element, even with a professional camera and lens and seeing that no amount of equipment truly captures the beauty of it. I could talk forever and go around in circles, so for now, I’ll cut myself off. I’m treating this post as a glimpse into the “why” and “how” instead of trying to take a 1-dimensional frame of something that has many dimensions and facets, I’ll take it angle by angle, shot by shot (or step by step, rep by rep [rhyming slightly intended]).
As I do more events, and train for more, and endure more hard days, but breeze through the easy ones, I’ll take you along on that journey too! Doesn’t that sound fun?? I promise I won’t make you do any workouts unless you want to join me! 😊
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