The Dog Days of Summer

 I looked up what is meant by the saying "the dog days of summer". Wikipedia says:

The dog days or dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They were historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius (known colloquially as the "Dog Star"), which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. They are now taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

This supposedly happens from late July to early September. 

The temptation towards lethargy is understandable. I had three social events this past week and let me tell you, it was very easy to just sit around, lounging, eating, chit-chatting and doing nothing. I can't afford to do that too often, even if it involves seeing wonderful friends. (For instance, here's a few of us at the St. Jacob's Farmers Market.)

It's simple to be a sloth, but if I let my healthy habits slide too much, it'll be too hard to retrieve them. I still have courses to facilitate and lessons to write. Because this involves a lot of sitting in front of the computer, it means it's harder for me to get my 10 000 steps in every day. Making a conscientious effort to include them during the summer often means a 60-90 minute walk. (I had hoped that wandering around St. Jacob's would have helped me reach my count, but in the end, all I accumulated for that day was 7 273 steps!). There are days when I'll get a lot done with my courses and writing projects, and there are days where I'll meet my water, exercise and nutritional benchmarks. Sometimes, they won't be the same days.

Even though dogs will probably not be in my future (see this post from 2024 detailing why I have to be a realist and ditch the idea of getting a dog when I retire), I'll still be faced with some dog days of summer. I need to learn to not feel guilty about taking a day off to relax, but also to rebound and return to productive days after rest days.