November Intention: Notice, Name, and Let Go

Exercise

Nov 4

Happy November!

It’s getting cold here, a relative statement for someone in the Bay Area. I have Reynaud’s so anything below 70, and often 70, can feel cold. As I’m typing I notice that my right hand is warm and my left is cold - I enjoy a narrow range of temperatures when I’m working at my desk.

As someone who is sensitive to a number of inputs, my body enjoys a narrow range of foods, which makes me feel vulnerable and sometimes grumpy, especially around the holidays.

Last month I monitored my zones of comfort, growth, and overwhelm. I mentioned that I was going to chose something from my overwhelm or growth zone to work on this month.

It was hard to pinpoint one thing to work on so I’ve decided to work on the overwhelm zone in general.

This month I will continue to be aware of my energy and emotions. My goal is to Notice, Name, and Let Go of one thing every day. Note: I will be letting go of one thing in the moment, not trying to let go of it for the rest of the month.

For example, on Saturday I was grumpy that my body doesn’t tolerate candy anymore and I tried to figure out what I could eat instead. Imagine an adult rummaging through a cabinet of nuts, seeds, and foods most people ignore in the grocery store. I eventually found a bar with 4g of sugar and ate some of it. It was amazing (Aloha Peppermint). So I had a little more. And then my body told me it was too much sugar. I felt hyper. My brain wanted more and my body wished I hadn’t had any.

I noticed a swirl of emotions as I started to beat myself up about it. Why did I have the extra bite? Why did I eat it at all? Why do I still want more?

And then I paused and noticed how I was feeling. I accepted the reality of my situation and tried to let go. At first, I distracted myself, Kdramas are my current go-to, but it wasn’t helping. I had to force myself to go for a walk knowing that movement often helps me. Slowly my body returned to normal and my brain came back online.

While it’s challenging in the moment, after several days, I can barely remember what I was upset about. As I look at my notes from Nov 1 to 3, I can already see trends, such as feeling like I should be doing more… Possibly something to work on next month or in 2025!

A positive trend, that I don’t record is that some of my happiest/in-the-flow times are exercising and certain projects. I wonder if recording being and needing would be helpful…

Below is a blank tracking sheet as a PDF if you want to join me!