This year is different

This lobster season feels different.

Is it because I’m now 40? 😝 Who knows. But I definitely notice a shift in how I’m feeling and managing my energy for lobster fishing this year.

Last year I was doing strength workouts and getting walks in, on top of the work I was doing on the boat. I find it hard to believe I had the energy for that but clearly I did or I wouldn’t have done it. This year I am finding that the activity I get on the boat is enough but it’s so hard to shake the shoulds that show up…

I should be…

doing strength training
getting out for more walks
finding ways to move my body after work

With practice, I’ve gotten much better at shutting down those thoughts and instead checking in with myself to decide what I really do need.

Lobster fishing is quite a workout itself.

No two days are the same. The weather can make a difference, if it’s a little more rough out I’m stabilizing more than if it’s a calm day. Some days we may move a lot of our gear so I’m pushing traps and pulling rope more than if we’re simply hauling and setting. But no matter what, I’m getting roughly 8,000 steps, sometimes more, by the time our work day has finished.

My oura ring lets me look a little closer at how fishing impacts my body.

For the first few weeks my stress levels were out of control. I’m talking 4-7 hours in a “stressed” zone where typically I’d have 1-2 hours in that range on a typical day. And my “restored” time was almost non-existent as my body was struggling to recover from the stress.

It was no surprise to see that my resiliency dropped two levels down – from exceptional to solid – during this time. I’m happy to say that it’s climbed back up to exceptional over the last week and I think it’s because I’ve learned to quiet those shoulds and to give myself what I really need to rest and recover from hard days on the water. And now even on most fishing days my stress levels are back in a normal for me range which is great!

When I stop to really think about this season I can see how the stress on my body got out of control. In addition to starting the lobster season, I moved into a new home. I’m now living mostly in Rustico, at my gramma’s house which meant adjusting to a new space. While it’s amazing to be closer to work and my family I had to recognize that it still put a toll on me to adjust to this.

I’m living between two homes as I’ve slowly been bringing things out here from our place in town. And while I’m mostly living in Rustico, Dave is mostly living in town so I don’t get to see my person every day. We are making it work for us but it is definitely another thing that I need to adjust to.

When I stop and reflect on all the changes I had in a short period of time it makes so much sense that I have been struggling.

No two seasons are ever going to look the same.

And I need to remember that’s not the goal.

The goal is to meet myself where I’m at. To remember to listen to my body and give it what it needs. And while it was great that last year I was able to workout a lot during lobster season, it’s also great that this year I can slow down a bit more and take that pressure off of myself.

With deep sea fishing just around the corner and there being so many projects I want to do in the Rustico house I will admit that I have a hard time letting myself just be. Even though I am accepting it’s ok not to cram in a workout every day, I do need to cut myself a bit more slack in all the other things that are on my to do list. I don’t need to come home from a full day of lobster fishing and then work for hours on deep sea stuff.

It’s all about prioritizing and recognizing what needs to be done versus what I want to have done.

I think this house in Rustico is going to help a lot. I’ve been dreaming of having a yard to spend time in and while the warm weather seems to be taking its time getting here I have been enjoying working in the garden or simply sitting and taking in the view. It’s a great reminder to just relax and be in the moment.