What’s Your Hurry?

By Winnie Yu for Completely You



All my life, I’ve been one of those people who walk quickly on life’s treadmill. I talk fast. I move fast. I think fast. The good news is I get a lot done.

And so it came as no surprise that as a mom, I had a tendency to hurry my kids along. There were places to be, people to see, things to do! Get out the door so we could arrive on time and do what we had to do.

Lately, I’ve been rethinking that strategy and changing some of my fast-paced, always-in-a-hurry ways. Instead of leaving half an hour before an event, I leave 10 minutes before it. Rather than race through a store, I try to pay attention to what my daughters are showing me. Instead of watching the clock while I’m taking an exercise class, I try to focus on what I’m doing and to do it more deliberately.

Nowhere is that more important than at dinnertime, where we still somehow manage to eat together most nights. I recently read Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life, a book by the famous Buddhist monk Thich Naht Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung, registered dietitian and director of health promotion and communication for the Harvard School of Public Health. The book talks about the importance of eating slowly as a way to control our weight. It also stresses the importance of being present in each moment of our lives and not living in the past or future.

For those of us in life’s fast lane, maybe it’s time to learn from those who amble along on life’s treadmill. Maybe it’s time we dawdle in stores and sip our lattes down to the last drop. I’d like to think that letting up on the gas will help us savor the scenery.



Winnie Yu is Completely You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14, and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.

Break the Rules

 

I love rules. I make them, I follow them and I impose them. Just ask my kids.

My personal rules cover all corners of my life, from health to finances to social life and housekeeping. Exercise 30 minutes a day. Don’t spend what you don’t have. Make time for friends every week. Put everything away now. If you don’t need it, ditch it. Leave a clean kitchen sink every night. Call Mom every few days.

Some rules are virtually non-negotiable, like exercising every day. Others, like the one about putting things away immediately, are often broken -- even forgotten -- as anyone who has seen my kitchen and office knows.

While it might sound as if I’m my own worst Gestapo, my rules help me stay healthy and sane. They also keep me organized and prevent me from going broke.

But here’s my favorite maxim: Make sure you break the rules sometimes.

As the old saying goes, rules are made to be broken -- which is why on some days, even I will shatter my own code of conduct. I’ll eat three desserts in a day. I’ll splurge on a pricey pair of shoes. I’ll leave dirty dishes in the kitchen sink overnight. Sometimes – though rarely -- I’ll even bypass my workout. 

Breaking the rules helps make life a little more fun and a bit more spontaneous. If I did everything according to my private code of conduct, every single day of every single week of every single year, I’d probably go crazy. Giving myself the leeway to cut loose usually means I’m having some fun, doing something interesting or -- say it ain’t so -- actually relaxing a little bit.

So if you’re like me (you like to stay on track), give yourself an occasional break and throw your personal rules to the wind. There’s more than one way to live, and it can change from one moment to next, one day to another or even week by week. The key is knowing when to break your rules. And frankly, there’s no rule for that. 

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For more great health & lifestyle content, visit the parent site of my blog, Completely You

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/shironosov

Winnie Yu is Completely You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14, and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.

Make Time for Friends

By Winnie Yu for Completely You


Back in the day when I was in high school, my friends were everything to me. We spent the day laughing and whispering in the school hallways, then went home and called each other to plan what we were going to do that weekend.

Then life got busy. Careers. Marriage. Kids. Friendships got put on the back burner as we slowly carved our way in the world and struggled to create meaning in our lives. But as I’ve gotten older and as my kids have become more independent, I’m starting to realize again just how important my friends really are to my happiness and well-being. (Learn just how important friendship is to your physical health here.)

That’s why I’ve made it a priority to spend time with my friends. As much as I love my family, there’s simply no substitute for the companionship of friends -- these wonderful people you handpicked to be in your life. These special folks are always there for you, ready to lend an ear or a hand, or simply to share a laugh.

Now, even when I’m having a busy week, I still try to set aside some time for friends. It might be breakfast or a walk with one pal, lunch with a small group, or a movie night with a troupe of frazzled moms from the neighborhood. Once a year, I try to meet up with my two best friends from college for a weekend away. It doesn’t really matter what we do. Just being together and talking is all that counts.

Truth is that hanging out with your friends is good for the soul. It feels good to kvetch about life’s endless challenges, swap stories about our kids and laugh about life’s absurdities. It feels good to be with people who want nothing more from you than a little compassion and some good conversation.

After an outing with my friends, I’m always more relaxed, and life always feels a little more manageable. As someone once said, “Friendship doubles your joys and divides your sorrows.” How true indeed.

Like this post? Comment below or connect with us @Completely_You
For more great health & lifestyle content, visit the parent site of my blog, Completely You


Winnie Yu is Completely You’s mom blogger. She has two daughters (Samantha, 14, and Annie, 12) and is the author of seven books, including New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding and What to Eat for What Ails You. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Woman’s Day, AARP Bulletin, Prevention and WebMD.com.