Switched on

I did a Body Balance class tonight for the first time in a few weeks.

I haven't been because I have either had another commitment on the same night as the Body Balance class, or I've been unwell. Tonight's class made me realise just how 'connected' I've been. And this connectedness, or being switched on, if you like, has led me to feel stressed and tired and I guess run down.

Tonight's class relaxed me so much. I feel calm, stretched, strong and focused.

During the class, I tuned out. I only focused on the difficulty of doing the moves and the pride I felt in accomplishing them. It felt great.

I was thinking about just how connected I have been, and how draining it has been for me this week - managing my work schedule, and others' schedules, committed to volunteer work, commencing uni for this semester, cleaning my flat, worrying about whether my shower is leaking into my downstairs neighbour's ceiling (apparently it's not), cooking meals for myself, communicating with friends and strangers in real life and online.... and this week, with my skin trying to heal and working quadruple time renewing, and my hand is still really sore from the IV, it's been hard.

I am worn out.

After the Body Balance class I treated myself to a late meal of salmon, fruit and juice. (I went to Coles Showground Village (the best supermarket in MY world!) to get my treats and the traffic was so busy because of a big music festival. I'd hoped to hear one of my fave bands, Placebo, play as I drove there, but nothing. As I type this, there are fireworks or gunshots going off. People are screaming and dogs are barking. I hope it's fireworks at the music festival. It's fireworks. Phew.)

It's not that I've eaten junk this week. It's that the antibiotics have made me feel so unwell that I've chosen not to eat much - so I've had cereal with fruit and juice for breakfast, a wholemeal toasted cheese sandwich with a salad of lettuce, tomato, purple cabbage and grapes for lunch, and a cup of stock for dinner. So I've been depriving my body a little, and last night I craved fat so I had french toast, and today I had fried noodles, pork and veges from the Asian cafe for lunch.

I realised I needed to nourish my tummy as well as my skin.

While I ate I sat on the couch and spent time listening to a CD - I wondered when the last time I actually listened to a CD was - fully concentrating, not skipping through the songs on the iPod because it's so easy to do - Silverchair Live From Faraway Stables - and browsed the Melbourne Fashion Festival program picking out (free) events I'd like to attend. I also read the Entertainment Guide in The Age and parts of the Melbourne Magazine.

It felt really good to just do nothing.

Well, just to focus on one thing - me and what's happening in front of me.

I've found lately, there's always something I could be doing. Checking out someone's life on Facebook or a blog. Checking the news. Flicking TV channels. Changing the song on the iPod. Changing my mind about my outfit. Starting a book and not finishing it. Choosing something else.

It's like we're faced with so much choice there's no time to focus on one task or give our minds time to properly think and absorb. They say generation Y is the generation of multitasking. Absolutely. There is a pressure to multitask, to always be switched on. To always be doing something, to be available and aware of what others are doing.

I feel the need to slow down. Of course, I need to keep my commitments - work, uni, volunteer work, health - but maybe just take some time to relax, sit back and do not very much.

Just because we sit there, looking as if we are doing nothing exertive, it doesn't mean our minds aren't running marathons.

Tonight's Body Balance class really clarified the need for me to relax.

This weekend I have bellydance, seeing a movie, going to High Tea and may view the Ron Mueck exhibition.

I bought a book that I want to read immediately. It is called Net, Blogs and Rock'n'Roll. The nerd in me has always been interested in the economics of technology (since I studied lock in and switching costs in 2001 at uni) and I am also interested in new media. This book is about the fan economy. I think this book will be just up my alley.

There will be two sleep ins. Some cleaning before the cleaner comes on Monday. Cooking. That's all.

I'm excited for the escapism of it all.