Motivating myself during my least favorite time of the year

When the temperature descends below 40, Motivation leaves Laurenville for its Summer Home.  Check out the following highly-scientific chart:

Infographic exaggerated to prove Lauren's point.

Let me summarize: It's hard to find Motivation during my least favorite time of the year.  Have you noticed my blog-writing absence?  Well, my relationship with working out is like my relationship with writing.  I love it and feel passionate about it.  I know its benefits to my well-being.  But sometimes I get writer's-block.  And sometimes I get exercise-block.  

Let's face it.  Sometimes I just get MOTIVATION-block.

Can I get an "Amen?!"

Speaking of "Amen," let's have a conversation about spirituality as related to exercise and motivation...  I think the Church needs to educate its people of the power of exercise: the mental, emotional, and yes, SPIRITUAL power of exercise.  Sometimes I get the vibe that many ultra-Conservative religious people look at meditation and fitness as DISTRACTIONS from a connection with the Creator instead of the innate aide that it is.  

Need healing?-- Pray more!  

Need a clearer mind?-- Pray more!  

Not praying more?-- Feel ashamed, you heathen!  

Think working out will help?-- Pfft!  You need to pray those demons outta ya, Sinner!  

(Sorry, that went from Ultra-Conservative to Westboro-Baptist way too quickly.)  

Now, I believe in the power of prayer.  I long for a prayerful connection with God and when I don't feel that, I find another block-- PRAYER-block.  But isn't this in our nature?  We're not perfect, and we have all sorts of interesting chemicals and processes going on in our bodies stimulated by an extremely distracting environment and genetic makeup.  Healthy living helps clear all that up so we can connect to our Creator more easily!  God is the Creator of science.

I remember reading a Christian book once about a woman who described a debilitating "fogginess" that had come over her mind (I won't name this book because it did have some good points.)  She was depressed; she couldn't connect in relationships with God or her family or friends; she couldn't focus on her work or what she usually loved to do.  

I bet you a princess's dowry that she experienced this MENTAL FOG during winter.  

And while it is a beautiful (well terrifying to me, really) thought that she could simply yell out that she denounced the fog in the name of Jesus (I'm not making this up), I highly doubt that God worked like this.

In fact, I believe that God works in a way that is much more empowering.  He rewards us when we take care of ourselves and these rewards include: 

• better mood :)
• better health :)
• more energy :)
• higher self confidence :)
• more motivation :)
• LESS FOG :)

And what do we do to unlock these rewards and this closer relationship with God?  We stop sneaking.  And we put on our sneakers.  

Okay, so it's not all about exercise, but a large part of it is, because exercise is much more than just exercise.  It heals the brain, too!  And behaviorally, it is the beginning of a new lifestyle.

And this realization, my friends, is how I found Motivation during my least favorite time of the year.

I see this journey to fitness much more than getting a six pack, or being able to keep up with my ultra-fit boyfriend.  I need to see fitness as a opening door to health and well-being in MANY different areas of my life.  And when I don't feel like doing much, I have to just do something.  I owe it to myself; I owe it to my body; I owe it to my family and friends; and I owe it to God.  But it's not about motivating myself through guilt when I mess up (shame is not healthy), it's about motivating myself through the freedom I'm experiencing when I go through with it.  And as a victim of IBS (embarrassing, yes, but I know there's a lot of us out there-- this is another blog topic, I'm sure), this physical FREEDOM is definitely appreciated.

I read a book recently called Exercise For Mood and Anxiety, and it wasn't religious at all, but I found myself fed spiritually nonetheless.  It was a great reminder that exercise is much more than exercise, and that Motivation is difficult for EVERYONE to muster up from time to time.  The book reminded me that exercise provides a natural rise in the "happy" chemicals in our brain, and gives us that feeling of "reward" that we so deserve.  In my opinion, this is God rewarding us for taking care of the body that he gave us!  We have instincts that go back to early humans-- we need to run, lift things, sweat, and even dance!  

And now that I'm getting back to fitness, I'm going to DANCE.  In between squats, curls, and lunges tonight, I watched some women's fitness motivation videos on youtube (these girls are strong, hot, and intelligent-- and it's inspiring and not intimidating because I am in control of my inner attitude!) and I danced to the music and just jumped around to get my heart rate up.  My workouts will get more intense as I get back into it, but I have promised myself to be fun with it at all times.  I've promised myself to watch videos of different workouts to change it up instead of having an excuse to be bored.  I've promised myself to look in the mirror and love myself no matter what, but especially when I see a beautiful energy and happiness in my eyes.

And that's what this is about.  Loving myself.  Motivating myself.  Freeing myself.

Join me.  

I promise I'll write more this time. ;)

And this is Lauren right now despite it STILL being winter:

This is not my actual face.
That would be really creepy.