Here we are in the third week of January. My city has had record breaking snowfall followed by subzero temperatures for several days. The third Monday of January has been dubbed "Blue Monday", purportedly the most depressing day of the year. Though it has been dismissed by many as pseudoscience, the designation was based on a formula accounting for weather conditions, debt, time after the holidays, and time since new year’s resolutions have been broken. Pseudoscience or not, January can offer some character-building challenges.
Whether you are facing a week of bitter wind chills, unplanned time off of work, an injury, relationship difficulties, or a period of financial worries, the following approach may be helpful.
"If you can't get out of it, get into it." This quote has been attributed to a few different people, one being Kris Kristofferson. What parts of this challenge can you embrace? How can you really get into it? I used to struggle with the post-holiday blues. A few years ago I decided to really embrace January as its own celebration. So I've slowly accumulated glittery wintery decorations, pine scented candles, and a shelf dedicated to hot chocolate and tea. I have invested in really warm clothes and boots so I'm as comfortable as possible. It has made a huge difference for me. In Carrie Underwood's book Find Your Path, she describes how she intentionally slowly tidies and cleans her house, making sure to embrace doing extra flights of stairs. That simple tidbit stuck with me. Now when I'm going up and down the stairs doing laundry and tidying, I'm looking at it as a beneficial workout, not just a tiring set of tasks.
Embrace this period as a source of grit. In Angela Duckworth's book Grit, she describes how a combination of passion and perseverance is essential for longterm success. Obstacles and difficult periods are not only guaranteed and normal, they are absolutely beneficial for your future success. How can you look at the current circumstance as a self-betterment project? Ask "how can I be my best self during this situation, or how can this lead me to being a better version of myself?" Struggles can reveal things you wouldn't see otherwise. "Who am I really when faced with a challenge?"
Go back to the basics. Adhere to radical self cares. Sleep at least seven hours per night, increase your intake of fruits and veggies ("Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" to quote Michael Pollan), move your body 150 minutes per week, minimize substances (sugar, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, etc), devote a few minutes per day to a spiritual practice that resonates with you, and hold your close relationships tightly. When going through difficulties, many times the first things to go are the basics - we stop sleeping, we eat poorly, and we isolate. Really really focus on your relationship with yourself and with your closest loved ones during this period.
Comentários