Have a Mental Donut

Words to live by, said by the character of Stephanie Plum in Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich.

Earlier this week, I attended an alcohol/drug awareness class for supervisors. During the class, the instructor recommended walking for half an hour, three times a week -- not for the exercise, but because it releases endorphins, which some people take drugs to simulate.

I can relate. I recently joked to a gym employee that exercising after work wakes me up enough that I don’t fall asleep before dinner. I have known for over a year that I actually like exercising now, if only because it’s frequently better than a day at work. Sometimes, I even look forward to working out! Then, on Wednesday, I was changing into my gym togs when I realized that just being at the gym, not even having put on my sneakers yet, had relieved my stress.

Now, if only I could settle for mental donuts for dessert, rather than ice cream or cookies or chocolate.