Last week passed in a blur. If I were to place it on the emotional rollercoaster of lockdown it would be firmly in a dip. When I dug a little into what was making me feel that way there were a few contributing factors; lack of exercise (due to a minor injury), lack of focus (due to finishing a project), and a heavy dose of overwhelm about the uncertainty of what comes next.
The immediate solution, to help get myself back on an even keel, was to take a day off. I spent Friday outside, walking in the rain. It was exactly what I needed to disconnect from the world and reconnect with myself.
That was the first step. Now that my head is in a better place I want to make sure I don’t fall back into the dip. Typically, when I’m finding things difficult it’s because I’ve lost my routine. So, to regain some emotional stability I go back to basics and identify the most important things to do each day. Without this foundation, there’s nothing to build on.
Seeing a photo posted by Ryan Holiday referring to his 13 Life-Changing Habits To Try And Do Every Single Day was very timely. I quickly drew up my own list of 10, which are:
- Morning routine
- Preview the day
- Regular mood check-ins
- Go for a walk
- Give thanks
- Think before you speak/act
- Move every hour
- Unplug for at least an hour
- Review the day
- Sleep 8 hours
I see these things as something to strive for, I won’t castigate myself if I don’t do them all. They’re more reminders for what I can do to help me be at my best.
Those marked in bold are the things that appear on both lists. Some overlap is natural, but as with most things I write about there’s no one-size fits all approach — you’re the best judge of what to put on your own list.
