Taking Care of Myself is a Part-Time Job

I have a part-time secretarial job at a local Baptist church, and some semesters I add a second job when I teach a class at the university. The more I learn about human anatomy and physiology the more I believe that taking care of myself is an additional part-time job. Other people might be lower maintenance than I am. I have enough chronic conditions (depression, obesity, face herpes, plantar fasciitis, back injuries, etc.) that I have to keep an eye on that it takes quite a bit of energy to keep them all in check. For most of 2012, I didn't teach, so I only had one part-time job. I was able to do a pretty good job of taking care of myself. I stayed healthy (after the intestinal infection), learned to swim, lost 15 pounds, and felt really good. Then in November I took over a composition class when the chair of the English department died. During the 2 months from the time I started teaching until I got back from Christmas travels, I had gained back 10 of the pounds I'd lost, caught a respiratory ailment, and felt like a mess. Yes, Christmas isn't great for weight loss, but I was already in a downward spiral by the time the semester ended. I have developed the opinion that I cannot work two part-time jobs and take care of myself properly, especially when I'm trying to develop healthier habits. It's like three part-time jobs. So I'm glad I'm not teaching this semester. I've already had time to cook healthy meals and go swimming every couple days. I feel much better. And I'm looking forward to a spring semester and summer of good health and good habits. And gardening season is coming soon!