I did something for me!

[ktgrok]

I posted recently and it was unanimous among the hive that I needed more time away from the kids. So, today I joined a gym!

I used to belong, years ago. I joined back then mainly so I could use the childcare and shower uninterrupted, lol. 

This time I'm mainly joining for the sauna, and again for the kid free time. I'm hoping the sauna might help my SAD, and firming up and getting some exercise will help me feel better about myself. And the break from the kids will be priceless. I almost joined the cheaper, closer gym, but this one has a sauna, and has yoga, aqua aerobics, zumba, etc and the close/cheap one has no sauna and only boot camp style classes which I hate. I did get a deal by using my health insurance website - basically the same price but month to month, no contract, which makes me feel better about pulling the trigger. It was hard to justify that cost - $30 per month plus another $30 for the three kids to have childcare - but I figure DH spends that much on his scotch a month, and I can probably cut out my nail appointments since I go to those mainly for the kid free time. (plus I'm feeling bad about the human trafficking/worker conditions in most nail salons nowadays). 

I also went to a tanning salon today. I'm at the point where the boost in mood is worth the increased skin cancer risk. If it works I'll go as needed until spring - so far it does seem to have given me a boost. Tomorrow or later today I'll hit the sauna - that obviously would be healthier. 

I also increased my vitamin D and took my B12 which I'd been neglecting. Going to take a look at my multi and see what levels it has - may up my vitamin A as my old vitamin had a ton of vitamin A, and then when I got pregnant I switched as that one upset my stomach. It was a few months after that that I had my first bout of SAD. And it seems vitamin A is linked to mood - and something not tested in routine bloodwork. If this one has significantly less, which I suspect, I'll up that as well. 

And I put my fitbit back on and am going to track and work on sleep. 

[Chris in VA]

So happy you are getting time for yourself! (And yeah, nix the tanning bed. Go for a 15 min walk in the sun instead!)

[ktgrok]

1 hour ago, Chris in VA said:

So happy you are getting time for yourself! (And yeah, nix the tanning bed. Go for a 15 min walk in the sun instead!)

What sun, lol? It has been cloudy and drizzling for nearly two weeks straight now! I snuck in 20 minutes the other day during a break in the rain, but that's it. Oh, and one day I made it to the dog park but it rained on us while we were there - definitely no sunshine. It's seriously gross. I guess it is a climate change thing - when I was growing up and until recently it was rainy in the summer but dry in the winter. Like, january was GORGEOUS with blue skies every day, no rain, etc. Now we had way less rainy days over the summer and winter is gross. 

[Pen]

Gym sounds great!   Enjoy!!!

Do you have full spectrum house lighting?

[ktgrok]

28 minutes ago, Pen said:

Gym sounds great!   Enjoy!!!

Do you have full spectrum house lighting?

I just bought full spectrum bulbs, DH will put them in this weekend. 

[ktgrok]

And to clarify, in a 15 minute tanning bed I was in there 5 minutes. And won't be doing it every day or anything. 

[MercyA]

Yay, sounds great! Jealous of the sauna! 

[wintermom]

The classes sound fun, and it's often motivating to exercise with a group. Hope you enjoy it, and hope it stops raining really soon. I'd take cold snow and sun over rain most days.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

7 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

And to clarify, in a 15 minute tanning bed I was in there 5 minutes. And won't be doing it every day or anything. 

 

Personally, I think 4-5 minutes in a tanning bed is worth the risk if it improves the SAD symptoms.  You are not in there baking to a deep brown, right?  🤣

There was a great article in Outside magazine about sun exposure... let me find it...

https://www.outsideonline.com/2380751/sunscreen-sun-exposure-skin-cancer-science#close

... and it has me re-thinking things a bit.  It seems universally accepted as true that BURNING = BAD.  But a healthy dose of sun is (it seems) actually quite important to our health.  If your system is funtioning well, it's ok if the dose is seasonal and winters are dark, but if, for whatever reason that is not the case... I can see a *brief* exposure in a tanning bed during weeks of gray skies could be helpful, especially when you are actually exhibiting symptoms like SAD.  

But I'll bet the B12 helps a lot, too.  I've been reading about how important B12 is and need to run to the pharmacy myself to find some.  Worth noting- dissolvable or chewable B12 is absorbed significantly better than a pill that you swallow.  Like, 100x better.  Something about the interaction with our saliva makes it significantly more bio-available.  

Having read a few of your recent posts and also knowing you have a high-needs kiddo, I think you are on the right track towards self-care.  I hope you enjoy the gym!!!  

 

[ktgrok]

Heading to the gym! Just going to do the treadmill probably, and the sauna. 2 yr old is crying that she wants to go with me, but child care is closed today. I figure while DH is home I'll get everything set up there, so it is faster when I go with them. 

But I hate hearing her cry!

[Katy]

She'll stop crying less than 5 minutes after you leave.  She'll be fine and you'll be happier.  Worth it.

[ktgrok]

Today was my first day back, and I did 10 minutes on the treadmill to warm up, just steady walking, and then leg extensions, leg curls, abductor and adductor machines, and leg raises and crunches. Then 5 minutes on the elliptical to pump out some lactic acid, then 15 or 20 minutes, not sure how long, in the sauna. That sauna.....man did that feel good! But I learned that a metal insulated cup will get HOT HOT HOT on the outside in the sauna! Nearly burned my hand! And my iPhone overheated and wouldn't work, although my kindle did. 

I have to say, I feel GOOD today! Like, not amazing, but human. And am realizing how badly I've been feeling. 

I don't know if it was the exercise, or the sauna, or just time away from the kids, or healthy eating that I've done today, or what. But something was better!