get the ick out
this was originally published on my substack. If that’s more your style, head on over there and follow me! I promise lots of dumb jokes and run-on sentences… because I may be the grammar police, but sometimes I just need to let the words flow as they come.
I am slowly letting myself fall in love with running again.
Exercise has always been my number one stress reliever. Worried, stressed, unsure about what’s next? Get on the bike. Pick up the heavy weights. Go for a run.
But like so many of us, it’s also been the first thing kicked off my to-do list when life gets hectic.
The irony, right? Anyway, back to running.
I’ve been enjoying Peloton’s 45-minute “Walk + Run” series for many reasons; namely, it distracts me from the torture of running for 45 minutes.
Yesterday, I was on a mad dash with my favorite trainer, Jess Sims. If you haven’t worked out with her before, I highly recommend her! She’s super high energy but isn’t obnoxious with motivation, and her playlists always slap.
She was talking about how it’s okay and normal to feel gross during the first ten minutes or so of a run. She encourages us to shake out our arms temper-tantrum style, wiggle our fingers, and kick our own butts, just to “get the ick out.”
In between trying to breathe normally and not pass out, I was very compelled to remember that term. Get the ick out. It may have become my mantra throughout those 45 minutes just so I wouldn’t forget it during my post-run high.
Aside from running or working out in general, there are so many things where I need to give myself a minute to get the ick out.
I’m learning to acknowledge when something makes me uncomfortable, whether it’s during the job hunt (sending cold DMs on LinkedIn? my worst nightmare), doing chores or tasks I don’t particularly enjoy.
That’s not to say I’m going to start throwing a temper tantrum like my five-year-old every time I have to do something I don’t want to do. (HOW do they get themselves in such a tizzy over something as menial as getting the wrong flavor granola bar in their lunch? It’s honestly impressive.)
But maybe in acknowledging the discomfort or dislike of something, I can find a better approach to getting done what needs to be done. Maybe I can make a joke in the necessary-but-still-cringe LinkedIn messages I send as I look for a new job, so I still feel like myself. Maybe I can meditate or find a new podcast to listen to during those less-than-ideal housework tasks that have to be done.
How does getting the “ick” out help change your perspective on things you don’t want to do? I wanna hear!