It’s only December and it feels like January here in Massachusetts. Rolling up in a ball and hibernating sounds enticing. It’s hard to get myself out of the house, let alone out of bed in the morning. When I sit too long at my computer, I stiffen and need to rouse myself.
But I know that if I don’t get up and out, I’ll feel even worse. Moving is what keeps me moving, getting blood circulating in my brain and into my fingers and toes.
So, I kept a commitment on Friday morning, even as it was only single digits outside, to go with a friend to a special awards luncheon an hour’s drive from here for a project we’d worked on for our fair city. It was uplifting and fun and just an all-around good experience. On Saturday, I made myself walk, bundled up, to synagogue, and then later spent a pleasant afternoon studying texts with two good friends.
Then on Sunday, Al and I went to Hartford, Conn., to celebrate our 41st anniversary (which is actually today). Why Hartford, you ask, when Boston, with all of its cultural attractions, is just an hour away? Because there is a wonderful art museum there, the Wadsworth Atheneum. We also took in a ballet performance of The Enchanted Toy Shop by a local conservatory and had a really nice Italian dinner after. None of which cost anywhere near what Boston costs, and the street parking on weekends is free.
And, despite 21 degrees outside as I write on Monday afternoon, I’m about to head out to Pilates and to do some errands. And I have my acting class tonight at our local conservatory.
All of this reminds me, even as my instinct is just to burrow under the covers, that I really do better when I stay active—mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Being physical is a real challenge this time of year, but the more I move and keep stimulating my brain, the more those physical challenges seem manageable. As I keep telling myself.
Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.
Image: Lydia Reclining on a Divan, c. 1882, possibly by Mary Cassatt, Wadsworth Atheneum
Dear Friend:
Such a good reminder about exercising our brains and our bodies particularly at this time of year when the warmth of hibernating under the covers is so inviting. Thank you
I completely agree with your advice, and try to act on it as best I can. I have to have a full slate of activities each day, even if none of them take me out of the house, or else I get antsy, and I rarely get to the end of my to-do list. Felt grateful last night, however, when a synagogue meeting took place only on zoom and I could huddle in my warm house.