Evaluate the following things about yourself to see if you need a detox:
- Do you have a liver?
- Did you have a liver before happy hour?
- Does that liver work?
If you answered 'yes' to two of those questions, well, you don't really need a detox. Your body is already doing that.
So why do I have %&&* for energy?
Let's go down the stress detox:
- Need more hours in the day?
- Need more sleep?
- Need less work?
- Need more money?
Yes, please put me on that plan. I've been trying to make more with less and while food, weight loss, and lifestyle blogs don't seem to be helping entirely, I've taken a different approach and just started reading more Clark Howard and Suze Orman...yes, money gurus.
That has been taking care of my 'need more money' section. The simple idea of living beneath one's means is quite astounding. Trying to get the same 'high' from spending as I do saving is a delayed reward I hope to one day pass on.
So where can I free up more time? Obviously, I can't work less. That would be awesome to get paid for 40+ hours of work while only coming into the office 1-2 days per week so something else needs to be negotiated...possibly spending annoying amounts of time making food and eating out. In comes meal planning, the hot topic of mommy bloggers that I hope to never become.
This is what I came up with (along with the help of a brilliant coworker).
The monthly meal plan calender here. Guys can 'google' whatever manly calendar with space for writing, think of it as another reason why you needed the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit calendar to your girlfriend.
- First write down all the crap you have going on that will affect dinner, practices? Deadlines? Parties? Appointments?
- Spend some time (about 15 minutes) figuring out what you want to eat and what is already in the house for week one.
- Search recipes to use up what you have and create a list of what you need.
- Stick to that list.
- Repeat for the month.
You might be able to figure out your life one week at a time or two weeks at a time. Cook one or two days per week so you always have dinner to reheat or leftovers for lunch. Stick leftovers in the freezer for when you're snowed in or just in no mood to get groceries or the take out menu is haunting you.
Eat out only in the evening and only 1-2 times per month. It's a challenge, but just try it this once.
See if you have any additional time...or money left over? Maybe you'll get better shut eye.
