Judith Wills
Have recently returned from a two-week break from work (no, not the Caribbean, just 'chillaxing' - or trying to - around the home area and avoiding work-related computer stuff).
The intention was to use the time wisely - to do the long walks, the deep breathing, the nature appreciation, plenty of aerobic and strength work, and to finish the two weeks enjoying the true relaxation and energising of body and mind that all this should have brought.
Instead, the holiday took the form of sleeping in late, conveniently forgetting to do my daily exercise (treadmill, rower, stepper), praying for monsoons and floods (not so unusual round here this summer) so I would have a perfect excuse not to go for a walk, reading gossip mags and watching daytime TV which I've never tried before on a weekday, Olympics excepted.
All totally not what a desk-bound writer of a certain age should have been doing during her precious longest holiday of the year.
You'd think that by the age of 63 I would have a basic understanding of myself and why I do things, but obviously, I don't. I have no idea why I frittered away that time and so finished my holiday feeling as if I were surrounded by thick fog after sitting in Beijing airport for 48 hours waiting for a delayed flight home.
Ridiculous. Something directed me to behave in a certain way and it must have been me. I don't believe in poltergeists, divine intervention, etc etc etc.
And here I find myself, a few days back at work and still that heavy fog is taking its time to lift. I have no oomph, no motivation, no clarity of thought and I'm moving slowly both physically and mentally, the exact opposite of how you're supposed to feel when you restart work after your break.
The only positive is that I can't be bothered to feel hungry, if you know what I mean.
I've actually lost some weight despite the lack of exercise. I inadvertently read a 'work' article in the paper during my time off, about fasting days - or the alternate day diet - being a very good way to keep slim/get slim. So Husband and I have started it this week, with Tuesdays and Thursdays our near-fast days, Mon, Wed and Fri 'eat and drink very carefully' days, and weekends 'you can more or less have what you like'.
It might work - I'm still a few pounds over my original target weight. And if it doesn't? Right now - I don't care.
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