So, now I am finishing the post, after some pretty incredible irony. I mentioned above I’ve been listening to a book, The Five Second Rule. Part of Mel Robbins’ challenge is to leave your cell phone in your bathroom at night and not pick it up again (except for turning off the alarm, if necessary) until accomplishing several things for yourself, with no distractions every morning. I considered trying it Thursday night/Friday morning, but kind of rolled my eyes and thought, it’s okay…I could easily take a break from my phone if I HAD to. Little did I know, I’d have to the very next day because my phone was about to be taken from a local pub.

This experience forced me, of course, to be better about my phone backups. But, most importantly, it reminded me how attached I am to that silly thing and how non-productive I can be because of my lack of boundaries and self control when it comes to picking it up. I sometimes wonder if it’s because I spend a lot of time in a massage room and away from it that I feel like I need to make up for it when I’m able.

Being without a means of communication with the world when away from my laptop, I’ve been able to pay closer attention to my thoughts, accomplished several more things and am remembering things quicker than usual. Gee, you mean actually being present in this moment does have a positive effect on cognitive function?! LOL (Asks the massage therapist and co-owner of a flotation therapy spa with eyes rolling.)

I don’t necessarily believe things happen by accident and always do my best to find the upside. In this case, I appreciate the forced change in habit this weekend that raised my awareness. I’m also grateful I had the inspired thought to pay off the presumably stolen phone for $158 rather than pay the $150 insurance deductible. So, now I’ll just upgrade my phone and pay a lower monthly payment for it. Interestingly enough, I thought of upgrading a month ago, but was afraid it wasn’t feasible. I suppose this was the universe’s way of granting my wish.

Well, I’ll close for now, but not without leaving you a [not so] funny reality on emotional eating and food binges. I’ve admitted emotional eating in the past and it’s important to know I continue to overcome these moments, or sometimes not. This year, I’ve eaten tubs of extra creamy whipped cream, a tub of Cool Whip with Oreos, a half bag of Reese’s peanut butter cup minis, several cartons of heavy whipping cream and lots of ice cream. Looking at this go-to list, you see a commonality – dairy, sugar and carbs. I did some research on this topic and now understand why – these things boost the production of serotonin and melatonin, making me feel more relaxed. I’m looking for replacement habits now and intend to overcome the next major craving!

I laughed while admitting this to a friend on Friday evening and for some reason feel I need to share it here. Perhaps just for the laugh or to plug the importance of consistent exercise because even after all of this, as of today, I’ve only gained a total of four pounds and will more than likely lose them within a couple weeks now that I’ve regained control.

Thank you for reading and I wish you a beautiful start to spring! Hopefully you’ll find some of my experiences relatable and feel motivated to take positive action.

After all, the only thing we can control is ourselves.