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3 Things I’m Doing Differently This Week

Week 2 of social distancing has had its challenges, but I learned a lot from Week 1 and set goals to manage my sanity moving forward. Week 1 was hard y’all, and learning that I would have to telework for at least another month sent a chill down my spine. I knew I had to change the way I was doing things, and so I have.

On last week’s episode of the Fit Black Queens Podcast, “Social Distancing,” we challenged each other to do something new this week. I made this my mission this week, and even downloaded a couple of apps and set up my bike trainer for this first time ever! Scroll down to learn what the other queens did differently this week.

There are a lot of little things I’m doing differently this week – for example, I’m blogging more, I actually took some time out for self-care, and I’ve started reading again – but there are three main areas where I have focused my energy over the course of the week, and I plan to carry these forward into the rest of my teleworking during this pandemic. Those things are running, embracing leftovers, and getting outside (rain or shine!).

Running

I have been running a heck of a lot more since COVID-19 turned into an actual pandemic. This week, I incorporated different types of runs into my routine. I’m so used to running “junk miles” (which I don’t think are actually junk because I don’t run enough as it is, so every mile counts) that I almost never focus on tempo runs or sprints. Adding extra runs to my routine has also enabled me to run with more variety. I’m actually loving running right now! #CardioQueen
Moving forward, I’m going to continue with my mixed-bag running routine. It actually makes running more fun, and I forgot that I actually enjoying running sprints every now and then! (I know that my fellow runners out there are probably saying “duh” right now.)   

Embracing Leftovers

Last week, I was all about cooking new dishes every single day, trying out different spices in my pantry and Pinterest-ing the bejeezus out of everything. That was exhausting, quite frankly, and provided additional unnecessary stress to an already stressful week. I’m not Martha Stewart, y’all. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat!

This week, I embraced using leftovers to supplement the new meals I was cooking There are only two of us here, and most of the meals I make feed 4-6 people, so why can’t I have leftovers for dinner in addition to or instead of just lunch? I mean, I already know the food is the bomb (I made it, so, duh). It’s not like some random frozen meal where it’s a roll of the dice, right?

Embracing leftovers worked out pretty well this week, so I’m definitely keeping this “trick” up my sleeve. It definitely cuts down on grocery runs at a time where we’re already limiting how often we go to the store, and it also made it less stressful and time-consuming for me when all I wanted to do at the end of the workday was sit there like a bump on a log, or go for a run and then sit down like a bump on a log.

black woman running outdoors

Going Outside – Rain or Shine

I saw a meme yesterday that said something to the effect of, “now I know why dogs get so excited to go for walks!” It is so true! I hate running in the rain, and I found myself running in the rain a couple of nights ago, just so that I could be outside. 
There’s tons of research on the positive effects of getting outdoors and what it does for our mental health. I believed it before all of this chaos, which is why I love hiking and just generally being outdoors, but all of this social distancing and requisite indoor time has really hammered it in for me. I start going absolutely bonkers if I don’t breathe some air outside of this apartment all day. I learned that the hard way last week, but nobody is going to catch me slipping this week!
I don’t know how I managed to forget that I have a balcony, but I remembered it this week and utilized that in my outdoor breaks. Heck, I even used it to stretch after a HIIT run yesterday! Since I can’t go for long walks during the workday, sometimes just doing some work on the balcony or drinking a cup of coffee and sitting down for 10 minutes is all I need. Unfortunately, I don’t often have even 10 minutes during the day, so I’ve been doing a lot of evening running and walking, which also means a higher chance of rain and a lower chance of sunlight. 
Now that you’ve read all about what I’m doing, I want to share with you some of the things my fellow co-hosts are doing differently this week! 

What the Other Fit Black Queens Are Doing Differently this Week

  • Adina (Deanie the Yogini) Like a lot of us, Adina has started taking more online classes this week. Check out Adina’s IGTV video to learn about what else she’s doing differently this week! 
  • De (FaithFueled Mom)  De has some things that overlap with mine! Great minds think alike! I think Adina has us all want to meditate more after she led a guided meditation during last weekend’s Power Hour. 
  • J’Que (J’Que Now)J’Que shared her “New Normal” in her latest IGTV video. It sounds like Adina’s mindful meditation made a great impact on her as well! She’s also focused on engaging and communicating with people in a more impactful way.
  • Tikima (Tikima Renee Fitness) – Tikima is focused on her physical and mental health this week. She shares the different ways she’s learning and coping with social distancing in her latest post

Alright! It’s Your Turn!

So… let me hear it! What are some things you did differently this week? Has anything surprised you? What are some things you’d like to do differently in the coming weeks? Do you have any short-term goals?

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