Death by Regimentation

I lead a pretty regimented life. I’ve gotten good at juggling multiple activities at once and sticking to carefully mapped out schedules. Regimens are good for me. I need specific plans for eating, exercise and career/family management.

But I have to admit, all that regimentation is like a noose around my neck lately.

Mood music:

I recently reined in my eating plan and got back to exercising because my health was beginning to drift. I have a new therapist and a new doctor. And though the going has been tough, we’re adjusting to the boys’ new school.

All in all, good progress.

Yet I’m almost constantly on the road. I drive to and from work. I pick up the kids from school. Then it’s back out for this appointment or that activity. This is the grind multiple days per week usually.

It’s all good. It’s what I signed up for, so to speak. But I’m realizing more than ever that my shoulders aren’t as strong as they should be to carry the weight.

I don’t need or want a change in routine. But I do need to find a better way to manage it all without feeling beaten down.

Better eating and steady exercise is a big step in the right direction. My sleep needs work. I’ve yet to figure out why I keep waking up in the middle of the night and staying up for an hour or more at a time. Better sleep would most definitely make everything else more manageable. I use a CPAP that sometimes feels like more trouble than it’s worth because the mask doesn’t fit right. One more thing to work on, which means more appointments.

I don’t tell you all this to complain. This is more an exercise in self-assessment. I need to make more adjustments to how I live my days, and posts like this usually mark the turning points.

I also share it because a lot of you have the same pressures. There’s no getting around the craziness, but it always helps to know that you’re not alone in the struggle.

You could also say misery loves company.

Or, as Red Green likes to say, “I’m pullin’ for ya. We’re all in this together.”

red green

One Reply to “Death by Regimentation”

  1. He also says “Spare the duct tape, spoil the job.” I need to used more duct tape (a good regimen perhaps?) on areas of my health so I don’t feel ‘beat down’ myself. (But I don’t think there is enough duct tape in the world to help my addiction to sugar and flour.) And it does help to know we’re not alone in the struggle. It’s nice to hear that some people are pulling for ya. Especially when in other areas in life people only want to cut you down. (I always remember that they are like that due to their own issues they struggle with.) Sometime it does feel like death by regimentation… but without it it’s likely to just to be a spiraling, painful, wishing for death with out it. Yeah, sign me ‘AtLeastThere’sNoRed InMyAnxietyRainbow’
    PS – I always dig your blog, Bill. Also, you can try out some spare CPAP masks we have around here if ya like.

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