The Five Minute Run: There's No Right Way to Do This

As I talk about habit building, self care, and focusing on the substance of community rather than the appearance, I feel like I need to interject into my own thought processes.  There is an idealized way to do all of these things but if we pursue wonderful things in a way that is too much, too fast, we will have it all blow up in our faces.

I went out for a run today and I confess, my exercise game has not been great these last few months.  I’ve been self-caring in other ways but whereas I used to be able to get outside at least two days a week, it’s been a long while since I made it a priority.  I ran for five whole minutes and then walked for awhile and to be honest?  I hated how hard even that five minutes was.  I want to be the kind of person who does self-care right.   But that’s ridiculous.  There’s no right.

There may be a wrong, and that’s the way I’ve been doing it.  Adding self-care to my to do list has all the right intentions but when my schedule (and therefore my habits) change and that self care is yet another thing I feel like I should squeeze in?  I’m doing it wrong.  This isn’t connecting me to myself.

At the same time, how often do I do that with friends?  “Yeah, I need to get together with that person but I can’t at the usual time but maybe if I put off that project for one more day I can hang out for 20 minutes between appointments.”  That’s not connective.  Why are we even trying if this is how it’s going to be?

The funny thing is, there is nothing wrong with seeing a friend for only 20 minutes.  There’s nothing wrong with stopping by for a quick chat.  It’s how we’re doing it that matters.  Are we squeezing them in or are we giving them what we can with joy?

Changing ourselves and changing our culture will happen little by little.  It will happen in 20 minute segments.  But only if we stop viewing that as not enough.  Do we all want more time?  Yes.  Are we going to get it?  Someday, maybe.  But for now, we have 5 minutes to run and 20 minutes to chat.  Maybe we do need to make hard decisions about how we spend our time, but I think a better place to make that choice is when you’ve at least dabbled in making sure your needs are met.

So today, do what you can and go to bed peacefully.  Do the same tomorrow.  What you have is enough.