Strength, Serenity and Wisdom

I think many people have heard the “Serenity Prayer” or a version of this prayer in their lifetime.  If not, here’s a version of it:

People often use this prayer to cope with a lot of different things in their life.  I am using a different version of this prayer when working out.  It goes something like this:

I know that my newer version is probably not as poetic as the “Serenity Prayer”, but I think you get the idea.  There are times when you should work out and there are times when you should take a break.  Yesterday was my break day.

I had a long day of standing on my feet and walking and when I came home I was very, very tired.  Sure, I could have gone for my usual 1 hour and 15 minute walk, but I decided that my body needed a break, so I spent the evening on the couch watching TV.

It was the best thing that I could have ever done!

When I came home, I felt a little bit of a vegetable, but after my evening of rest I felt mentally and physically rejuvenated.  The key thing to my rejuvenation was to admit to myself that I needed to take a rest and to enjoy the rest without the “Oh no, I’m skipping on my workout” guilt.

Removing the guilt from the non-workout days is important to maintain your health and wellness.  Guilt can be a huge stressor, so if you are taking a day off, do it guilt-free and enjoy the Serenity.

And last, but not least, you also need to have the Wisdom to know when you are slacking off from your workout versus taking a rest.  Too many guilt-free days from exercise could set you back from your health and wellness goals, so you need to be honest with yourself about why you are not working out on that day.