November.

Hard to believe. Time is hurtling by faster than I would like. On Halloween night, as we were tucking our candy-addled girls into bed, I whispered to each of them: Please don’t get any bigger. A silly sentiment, but I felt it. I want them to stay small. I want them to need me, but I know better. Moments are slipping, days passing, years piling up. And all of this has led me to the next topic Lindsey and I will focus on for my beloved and quirky HERE Year:

Wellness.

Wellness literally means the state or condition of being in good physical and mental health. I chose this as the topic very purposefully because it’s my intention to focus on the positive aspects of health this month – what I’m doing to feel good and strong and happy and present. There will indeed be an optimistic bent because, yes, I think writing positively will help me feel positive.

More on my motivation for this month: I am fully convinced that we lead happier and more fulfilled, present lives if we feel good mentally and physically. And yet. Life is busy, a constant and draining juggling act. Wellness too often gets lost in the shuffle. But not this month. For one month, I will pay fierce attention to nutrition, exercise, mental well-being, and sleep. For one month, I will make it my job to be as physically and mentally healthy as I can be.

For one month… I will weigh myself each morning and write down everything I consume, take vitamins and drink lots and lots of water. Each night by 9pm, I will send a food log to my friend/nutritionist extraordinaire Lauren Slayton as part of her amazing Foodstalking Program.

For one month… I will move my body every single day – whether it’s a brisk walk to get my kids at school or a ferocious new fitness class.

For one month… I will meditate every day – for a minimum of 5 minutes and I will also write down a daily account of how I’m feeling (in morning pages, an evening journal or right here on the blog!)

For one month… I will do everything in my power to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

And the fun part is that I will write about it all here and share what I’m learning. I know I’m not the only one who feels a bit stretched and sluggish this time of year. And, again, this is one month. I have zero interest in living my life like this. I like candy and excess like the rest of us, but I know I can do one month. When December rolls around, I have a hunch I will be feeling awesome, but also primed for a wee bit o’ Peppermint Bark.

Wish me luck! And leave a comment or reach out to me at aidandonnelleyrowley [at] gmail [dot] com if you have ideas for posts this month, websites or books or meditation or fitness classes I should check out, or if you want to join me in my November Wellness Cleanse!

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** Oh and PS: You might notice that I jumped from Month #5 to Month #8. There’s a good reason for this… Though I took July and August off from blogging, I learned a ton during those months and was more present in my real life than ever. Those two months were as much a part of the HERE Year as any.**

**PPS** Totally unrelated, but the below pic, which I also shared on Instagram (find me there!), is a Big Girl masterpiece. I can’t tell you what joy it brings me to watch my girls stumble brightly into their passions. Art is certainly one of hers. Speaking of Instagram, I will be sharing lots about my exploration of Wellness this month over there… Today, I’m going to see The Dalai Lama speak! Stay tuned for details.

Image may be NSFW.
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