Damn you Immune System....Damn you

So here I've been thinking about starting this blog and committing to this goal for the last 3 months.  I finally do it and KA-BAM! My immune system decides to play a little joke on me and fail just as I start.  For the last 4 days I have felt like an elephant has been sitting on my chest and I've been able to do little more than lay around on the couch.

Just a few days prior to getting sick, I was thinking to myself, "Wow this is awesome, I haven't gotten sick at all this winter."  So basically it is all my fault...I jinxed myself.  I have really been struggling to wake up before 9am since I have been feeling so crappy :(

I am going to continue writing this blog even if I am still getting over my sickness in order to stay motivated.  I am hoping that this extra motivation might help my body kick these leftover germs outta my house! I'm going to begin by listing the positives of being sick to change this from a bummer to a slight shift in schedule:

• Boyfriend makes me soup
• My stomach/waist feels tight from coughing so much...I know, ew but kinda nice at the same time
• Watched 5 hours of Food Network therapy while home from work on Monday...Yes, Rachel Ray is still annoying
• Caught up on Bethenney Ever After (yay!)
• aaaaannnndddd thats about all I got....

Moving forward, how do I keep from getting sick?  In doing a little bit of research and remembering what my Grandmother has told me for years, there are the normal suggestions....Orange Juice, lots of water, exercise, leafy greens, wash your hands, blah de blah de blah.  All great suggestions and definitely work.  However, I was happy to find a list of unusual tips for not getting sick which are way more fun!

Weird Ways to Not Get Sick 

Check the article by Laurel House for more details
Weird Ways to Not Get Sick

1. Kiss- (YAY!) Kissing can actually help in making your immune system stronger by sharing some bacteria.  This might make kissing sound a bit gross or you may want to run with this and go crazy.  Ladies, this is not a reason to kiss just anyone. Please be picky!  ***A disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for what you may or may not obtain through kissing.
2. Listen to Music- So glad that this is a healthy habit! Listening to some relaxing jazz or something similar can reduce stress which also boost good protein levels in your body.
3. Walk Really Fast, Don't Run-  We know exercise is important to keep yourself healthy but the trick here is to not overdo it especially if you are already feeling less than normal.
4. Don't Blow Your Nose-If you do, they recommend to blow gently or take a decongestant.  By blowing too hard, you can end up sending mucus into your sinuses which is an even worse place for it to be. 
5. Get Hot- Duh!!! We are always "hot" in our high heels but this article suggests a sauna to help get a cold out of your system.  My dad used to sit us in the bathroom with the shower on super hot to let the steam help loosen up any yucky stuff.  Makes for a high water bill but it definitely works!
6. Avoid the Desert- Although heat can help knock-out a cold, dry heat can help to keep them around.  Humidifiers help big time in the winter.
7. Drink Coffee- This makes me happy as I am a bit of a coffee addict.   Obviously you don't want all coffee and no H2O but coffee among other hot liquids can help to get nasty viruses 'out of your mouth and down to your stomach where it can't grow due to acids.'

I love this list in addition to the norms!  Add to this red wine being healthy for your heart and my fantasy of high heels becoming some magical remedy as well and this list would be complete!!!

All this being said, I have still not given up on this commitment to become a morning person and wake up early an be productive.  Even if it means completing this challenge outside of an actual month's time.  Until my 31 days starts over, I will be getting healthy and staying motivated!

  

The good thing about this, or  maybe bad,  is that you will get to read this blog that much longer :)

What are your tips for staying healthy???

31 Days to Become a Morning Person

As of yesterday, I have challenged myself with a 31 day test....get my a$$ out of bed early and be productive!  This blog will serve as a way to let everyone know what is going on and also to hold myself accountable for the commitment I am making.  I am not a morning person so although this may not seem like a big deal, it will be difficult for me.  I used to be that person who set an alarm only to snooze 10 times before I actually got out of bed.  I have gotten to the point where I wake up around 7 with no alarm.  However, that does not mean that I get out of bed.  I need to start utilizing my mornings to get things done so that I can enjoy my evenings a little more and have more flexibility with other commitments.

Day 1

 Ew.  This already sucks.  Greeeat way to start my motivational, 'I can do anything' blog... : /  I woke up this morning at 6:30 with no alarm.  This in itself is great!  I'd like to get up at 6:30 everyday.  The problem is that my brain is programmed to see the clock at this time and pull the blanket back up over my head and go back to sleep.

I should have just gotten up! When 7 am rolled around, I made myself get up but now I feel groggy and tired because I went back to sleep for that half hour.  I hate when that happens! This will get easier, this will get easier.  If you just get up when you wake up, you feel so much better.  Today my motivation to get out of bed was to write this blog and put it out there what I am doing.  If I didn't get this done, then it would be too convenient for me to just forget the idea and continue sleeping until whenever.

Eventually, I want to be working out in the morning.  Today I am considering blog writing to be my productive  thing.  And perhaps also, having a cup of free coffee at home instead of sleeping late so that I end up paying for it at work.

I also wanted to do this to hopefully inspire someone else to try a change for 31 days....what small change could you make that is slightly out of your comfort zone that could potentially change your life in numerous ways?  Think about it and join me!  This may be a selfish request because it is so much easier to motivate myself when I have someone else counting on me as well :)

So come on, help me, help you, help me ;-P