Monday was one of those days. It wasn’t a bad day. In fact, there was plenty of good that came from Monday.
But I was still in some kind of funk.
It was strange too. I woke up early to get back on track with working out, which I felt good about. I also got a lot of work done—despite Zoom giving me all the grief when I tried to record a video for work—and was able to start to planning content for both work and myself. I even took Scout on a three-mile walk because it was in the mid-50s, which was an absolute treat for a January day.
And yet!
Instead of focusing on what I did well, I focused on what I had not gotten done. An outline I was working on? Not done. A blog I wanted to go live? Not finished. Organizing my closet? Nope. On and on it went.
It was just one of those days.
What do I do on a day like that?
Breathe
First, I try to remind myself that it’s only one day. One day doesn’t define a week, a month or a year. One day is just what it is.
I try to take a deep breath just to bring myself back to the present. I try to reflect on what I did accomplish. Sometimes an accomplishment can just be getting out of bed and that’s OK. Giving myself grace through those days helps, especially when I want to beat myself up over the little things.
I’d like to get into more breath work and meditation in 2022. Peloton has a full library just asking for me to use it, so I’ll get there.
Go Outside
Taking a long walk with Scout did help. It cleared my head a bit, even if I still came home feeling a bit off. Just moving and getting some fresh air though was a positive in my day.
It’s hard to get outside in the middle of winter, of course, but I try. When I do get outside, I try to look around. I don’t tend to listen to anything when I walk—mostly out of safety, if I’m being honest—and not having anything to distract myself with helps me to stay present in the moment.
Listen to Music
Certain songs boost my serotonin levels almost instantly. I have an “On Repeat” playlist just for the moment. Finding those songs that just instantly improve your mood is a game changer.
Eat and Sleep (and Drink Water)
I saw a TikTok yesterday—which I apparently didn’t like and now can’t find—that said something essentially to this effect:
“When you feel you hate everyone, eat. When you feel everyone hates you, sleep.”
That felt pretty accurate. I think it also included something about drinking water, which is important too. I can’t remember what it specifically said on water, but I need to get back to drinking two full bottles of my HydroFlask per day. This is the one I have, which is 40 ounces. That’s a lot of water when you double it, but I always feel better and more clear when I drink enough water.
I also feel better when I eat and sleep. I think part of what threw me yesterday was that I woke up early to work out and was more tired than I expected to be when I was done. I also was very hungry and didn’t really have enough to eat. I went to the grocery store last night and corrected the latter. I also went to bed earlier.
***
I feel better today. I got up and worked out again (and took a great Lunar New Year run with Susie Chan), had some breakfast and am one HydroFlask of water down for the day. That’s a start, right?
I have plenty of work ahead today and I’ll get there. I’m feeling more clear, which is good, but it’s also OK that yesterday wasn’t like that. It was just one of those days.
And today is a new day.
Erin