Hi there, me again, Rachel the poet. I’m here with another inspirachel for you.
An inspirachel is a quirky little download from the universe that makes its way through my soul-ar system and comes out as a little nugget: an inspirachel.
I am grateful to The Wisdom Daily for giving me the opportunity to share some of these inspirachels with you.
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Take exercise. We need to move around. That’s a given. Human bodies were meant to be active, to be supple and responsive. We know our minds need it, too. The research is definitive. Exercising for just twenty minutes a day is known to be as effective as antidepressants in terms of mood elevation.
Once I’ve done it, I feel great. Put it this way: I’ve never regretted working out. Never once have I looked back on a workout, and thought, “Man, I wish I would have just stayed home and eaten pizza and watched TV.”
So if I know all this to be true… why is it still so hard to get myself to exercise? Why is entropy so seductive?
Let me answer this question with a question: Who cares?
Let’s just burst through it!
Here’s what I have noticed: when I begin to exercise, without fail, my insides fight me. I throw a an internal temper tantrum. Every time. I want to stop. I want to stay comfortable, I don’t want to get sweaty.
But here’s the trick: stubbornness.
I keep going… and without fail, in about five minutes, I can break through the resistance. It still may be hard, but I start to feel good, I start to be in flow. Then, I don’t care that I am sweaty. I mean, I was going to take a shower anyway, after all.
The stasis chorus in your head is loud… but it lacks endurance. If you simply continue, after a few minutes, they will back down, exhausted, while you start to feel reinvigorated in equal measure.
This is not just about physical exercise. No matter what you’re doing, don’t let that stasis chorus get you down. Keep going.
Just five more minutes.
I promise, you won’t regret it.
Support Rachel’s poetry at Patreon. TEDx Poet Rachel Kann has been featured on Morning Becomes Eclectic on NPR and as The Weather on the podcast phenomenon, Welcome to Night Vale. She’s received accolades from the James Kirkwood Fiction Awards, Writer’s Digest Short-Short Story Awards, LA Weekly Awards, International Poetry Slam Idol and Write Club Los Angeles. She’s performed from The Nuyorican Poets’ Cafe to Disney Concert Hall with people like Marianne Williamson and DaKAH Hip Hop Orchestra. She teaches poetry through UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, where she is the 2017 Instructor of the Year. Visit her at rachelkann.com.