Staying Sane

When you’re a busy hockey mom/career woman like me, staying sane amidst the crazy is always top priority.  The responsibilities of work, home and hockey (insert sport here) pull you in a million different directions concurrently.  Sometimes you feel like you’re caught up in the rack, a medieval torture device, because you’re being pulled so many different directions.  So how does on stay sane when juggling life’s many responsibilities?   How does one find a way to release the pressure and unwind?  I’m glad you asked.

Here’s my Hockey Mom Fit Life guide to staying sane:

1. Surround yourself with great people.  Your squad will pull you through the best and times and the worst of times just like in a Charles Dickens’ novel.           
2. Make staying fit a non-negotiable priority.  There is no better way to cope with the stressors of life than taking a kick arse zumba class or running 3 miles.  Seriously, it works wonder for both your physical and mental health.  
3. Get in the habit of reading books, not just your Facebook feed.  A great novel can lift your spirits and stimulates your mind.  There’s nothing bad about that combination.  
4. Take a yoga class.  Regardless of what type of yoga class you take or your level, nothing beats the supreme relaxation of savasana.   I’ve been waiting all week for tomorrow’s aerial yoga class and its end pose savasana.  In the yoga swing, which functions like a hammock, savasana is otherworldly.  Undoubtedly, I will fall asleep during the final relaxation pose again.  If I had my druthers, there would be an entire class of savasana.  (Just a suggestion Monica!)
   

   
5. Eat well 80% of the time.  Feed your body and soul with natural, whole foods that will fuel your workout.   Additionally, when you fall off the wagon, and it will happen, don’t be yourself up over it.  As long as you’re not falling off the proverbial wagon all day every, you should be okay.
   

   
6.  Treat yo self!  Back to the 80/20 rule, make space in your diet to treat yourself.  One of my guilty pleasures, is European chocolates.  Can you blame me? I didn’t think so.  Particularly, I adore Neuhaus and Leonidas chocolates.  A nice box of chocolates will last me almost.  I allow myself to have one a day, like the vitamin only better, so I never feel that I’m deprived.             
7.  Take a vacation that isn’t related to your child’s sport.  This summer we spent fifteen days in Norway as a family.  While it certainly was not cheap, it was one of the best experiences of my life.  It is a trip that we as a family will never forget.  Moreover, it was a nice departure from our everyday obligations and life.  Sometimes that’s all you need.
   

   

   
8. Don’t be afraid to enjoy an adult beverage with your squad and be grateful for Uber.                                     
9. Pay it forward.  Nothing keeps you grounded like giving back and making the world a better place.  For me, it’s all about funding pancreatic cancer research in honor of my dear friend Debbie, who was the inspiration for this blog.  Pancreatic cancer robbed us of a beloved member of our hockey family way too soon.  Consequently, we will never give up the fight to find a cure for this insidious disease.  This November, we will participate in our 3rd straight Purple Stride in her honor under Team Deb Force Five.  You can join us at the event or you can donate in her honor here at our: team site.
   

   

   
10.  There’s no better way to relax than by listening to fabulous music.  For instance, his morning I was rocking out at work to REM, Tom Petty, The Beatles, AC/DC, so tonight I’ll leave you with some REM and No Doubt. C’est la belle vie!