Health Focus (Goodbye 2017 – Looking Back #1)

The start of 2017 was hopeful. I had decided my Word for the Year is going to Focus and chosen a few things to focus on too… health, friendship, writing and reading, and on little things that matter.

At the beginning of the year, I hoped the year would be kind. While some parts were, the year was mostly a forgettable one. I was talking about it to a friend, and I really don’t remember much of it except for two trips, and a few meetings with friends. I thought, as the year dwindles down, it’s the right time to retrospect on those focus areas.

Expectation: To Focus on my Health:

There used to be a time when I would rarely fall ill, or take leave because of ill health. I want to try and get back those days. I’ve grown lazy, and that’s not something that’s good for the long run. This year, I want to focus on health. I’ve put on a lot of weight in the last year, so this year, I want to shed it. I will try to balance my diet more, and return to exercising regularly too. Not an overly strict diet that I can’t stick to, but small changes that’ll become a part of my routine with time.

How the year went:

Though the year was topsy-turvy, I am happy with how it has gone when it comes to this goal. I started the year by focusing on small changes to my diet. I reduced how much sugar I consumed, started drinking more water and reduced the intake of junk food too. It felt good. I felt more energetic. I started walking more than I had in 2016. Though that stopped in the middle of the year, I’ve thankfully gone into a routine now that I hope to keep going. Oh yeah, I’ve lost around 9kgs weight-wise. That’s decent, I guess.

I’m a bit saddened that I couldn’t focus on my emotions much. Mental health is as important as physical, if not more. The year has brought a lot of weight on my mind that I’ve found difficult to shake off. My grandfather’s death, expected yet unexpected, caught me off guard. A few friends have walked off from my life. Some office issues have added to that strain as well. All together, it has been difficult to take. But thankfully, a few friends have been there when I’ve crumbled, and helped to push me back to my feet.

I don’t know what the next year holds, but on this front, I want to try and do two things:

• Continue the routine that I have with exercise and diet.
• Try not to stress too much when life hands me those unexpected lemons.

(© Vinay Leo R. @ I Rhyme Without Reason,
20^th December, 2017)

Vinay Leo R.

Poetry & writing are to me, a breath of fresh air in a life that is sometimes covered by the smoke of sorrow or self doubt. They also become the sweets I share to celebrate when life offers me a reason to. But most of all, they are to me, my life. For each word I write is a piece of my heart, a thought that just had to find its way into the world.