Mar 27 - Moments of Calm

  Work was busy today, really busy.  I just keep hoping time will slow down a bit so I can do more than is actually possible in reality.  I have to be really careful to grab moments of calm during the mad rush of the day.  Emotional eating is a big problem for me, and stressing out over work is a huge potential trigger.  This is particularly risky at the moment as I don't seem to have settled myself into a lunch routine yet.  I've been trying to be relatively good but often failing somewhat.
  One of the ways I've been trying to stymie the onset of emotional eating is by ensuring I maintain my regular breaks and keep my blood sugar steady.  Skipping breaks, snacks or meals only stresses me out more so I've learnt to prioritise them.
  My usual workday morning consists of reluctantly dragging my arse out of bed then reluctantly dragging it out of the shower then rushing about getting ready because I shouldn't have taken so long doing the first two things (admittedly the shower counts as a moment of calm but I digress).  Today was no different really excepting that Mum drove me to the train station which was lovely (Ta Mum!).  But in all that rushing, for breakfast I stop.  I focus on what I'm eating, I sit down and eat it very deliberately.  I stop watching the clock, I make peace with missing a bus or arriving ten minutes later to work than I thought I might.  It's a zen way to start the day.
  Morning snack is usually just grabbed at my desk, but I still enjoy what I'm eating.  It's more about keeping my hunger levels low and my blood sugar steady.  Luckily I love fresh fruit and nuts so it's easy to keep that healthy and I do sometimes use it to pause and check facebook or something like that for five minutes.
  At lunch time I make sure I take at least 30 minutes away from my desk.  I eat somewhere uncluttered with paperwork, preferably with sunshine and non-work related distractions.  It clears my head, and I can return ready to work with refreshed.
  Afternoon snacks, like morning, are similarly eaten at my desk, but since it's usually an apple, I have to walk 50m to the kitchen to use my nifty apple core and slicer.  It enforces another momentary pause and I take a somewhat childish glee in eating my apple in uniform slices rather than chomping on it whole.  I don't know why, I just feel happier when the core is no longer there to be eaten around.
  Dinner of late has been fuel for the fire rather than enjoyable so that's something for me to work on as a well-prepared tasty dinner for one can be very enjoyable.  Last night was lovely, but then eating with company is always more fun.  Cooking for company is also more fun, and easier.  Tonight I had dinner out with Mum and Mr Smart at Cafe 58 which was really fun and relaxing.  I even indulged in two big glasses of Moscato since I wasn't driving (I know, I'm such a lightweight).
  Before dinner though, I had a really lovely moment of calm.  I google mapped the trip to the restaurant from work and realised that it would be easier and better for me to walk there rather than piss around trying to get to a tram to travel all of three stops or so.  I texted Mr Smart to let him know I was on my way.  He was also walking there from uni and our paths would, with a little wait on my part, cross at Melbourne Museum.
  I arrived, I sat on a long comfortable concrete bench in dappled shade, I took my handbag off my shoulder, slipped off my shoes and swung my feet in the hot afternoon air, and watched the world go by.

  It was only fifteen minutes or so, but just sitting quietly and not thinking of anything in particular did me a world of good.

  Today's food and exercise were:

• Breakfast was two slices of toasted Bürgen wholemeal and seeds bread with Vegemite and two slices of Bega So Light tasty cheese.
• Morning snack was a dried pear half and a Johnathon apple.
• Lunch was a serve of beef lasagna from Mambo Italia.
• Afternoon snack was a red-flesh plum.

• Exercise was an approximately 2km walk from work to Cafe 58, pausing at the museum to wait for Mr Smart to join me.
• Dinner at Cafe 58 started with prawn crackers and two large glasses of Be.Luscious Moscato.
• Entree was the Cafe 58 entree platter: chicken satay skewer, minced beef in betel leaves, rice paper rolls, spring rolls and curry puffs with satay sauce, sweet chilli sauce and Vietnamese sweet and sour sauce.
• Main course was coconut rice with pork spare rib hot pot and basil chicken.

• Dessert was three and a half chocolates from Shocolate: half a basil truffle, a berry truffle, a vanilla truffle and a salted caramel truffle.  Basil is still my favourite but the salted caramel is a close second!

  Mum and I ate dessert once we got home after dropping Mr Smart off home.  She went on with reading her Jack Reacher novel and I decided to enjoy some light multi-tasking.  Sometimes the blog itself becomes a stress but I decided tonight that it wouldn't be (hence its somewhat rambling nature this evening).
  Currently I am spread out on the couch blogging on my netbook, I have while writing, watched my recording of this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (favourites are Tommy Little, Steve Hughes and Hannah Gadsby), played Words With Friends with Mr Smart on my phone, chatted with Mum, chatted with TwoWrongs on facebook and listened to my Laura Marling album.
  And I feel calm.
  Jess