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Let's start this post with a pretentious gym selfie.
I have been in a bit of a slump recently, the return of the gloomy grey weather has affected me way more than it should. I spend 80% of my time in bed, in fact, there have been multiple times when I have gone to sleep in the day or evening simply because I don't have the energy or will to do anything else.
Seeing as I've been spending so much time in bed, I have ended up showering in the evening, spending the day with half rubbed off foundation and knotty hair, which really isn't exactly a confidence booster.
Today was a good day, I read the whole of my 336 page novel! I got out of bed, showered and went to the library. And then, most importantly, I went to the gym.
I, like everyone else in the whole universe except really strangely motivated people, go through seasons and phases of exercising, eating well and being productive. And when I am in one, I feel a lot better about myself. I'm pretty sure my shape and size are barely even altered, but my mindset is much better. Instead of looking at my body and thinking that I'm flabby and untoned and should exercise, I find myself noticing the little changes, the improvement in the way I feel and start to see my body as something to work with and not against.
I spent an hour in the gym alternating between the stepper, crosstrainer, rowing machine and treadmill and, although there are obviously no visible changes from one session, I feel a lot better. I feel a lot more like myself.
It's so hard to be a student. I know I will hate myself for saying that once I'm caught in the throes of the working world, but the student lifestyle doesn't suit me. Six contact hours a week and a course that focuses its efforts on issues and ideas that have no discernable relation to the world we actually live in leave me feeling somewhat underwhelmed with the idea of studying. I have so many free hours to myself which I throw away on netflix or youtube or whatever social media I get caught up on.
As someone said, or I just made up, whilst you are killing time, time is killing you.
So spending an hour being active and productive at the gym made a big difference.
And I am well aware that I am writing this in the foggy honeymoon period after one gym session, where it is easy to self-aggrandise and pretend that this is the start of the "new me" and that I will suddenly transform into someone who Goes To The Gym, but I hope that I will make some use of my membership between now and the summer.
It should at least give me a chance to feel healthy before going to America in August and eating ALL THE FOOD, because, lets face it, that's going to happen!
