The Monday after…

Weekends carry good vibes for many of us. We might play sport, go to a concert, escape away for a short trip, or bury our nose in a good book.

This past weekend I had quite the busy time. I attended a new creatives group, planned out a D&D session, caught up with a friend over coffee, participated in a 6.5km running race, ran an ultimate training, published a blog post, watched a good movie with good friends, and edited my book manuscript.

On Friday, before the onset of all these things, I did wonder how I would be after this plethora of activities. They would be fun but also require much physical and mental energy.

Seldom is the outcome of something as bad as the worst our mind can think up. I thought would struggle to wake up on Monday. I thought my muscles would be extremely sore, and that I would wake with a mind so foggy I couldn’t see my own nose!

Now if this eventuated. It did take me a few goes to get out of bed, but my mind wanted to be up and tackling the day. I’m not a morning person so this was the opposite of a usual morning for me. My body was a tad sore, but that’s to be expected after doing a different type and level of exercise than I’m used to. My mind was tired but with the right food and consistent hydration throughout the day I managed to focus on each task and work my way through them. So, my Monday after an action packed weekend, was far better than I had expected!

Preparation and cultivating the right perspective made this happen. It’s been a long process—still ongoing—of identifying negative thought patterns not backed up by evidence, and replacing them productive ones. Up until three years ago a weekend with this many social engagements would have spelled doom for my Monday. I would have stayed up late worrying about the next thing, and probably piked out on at least one. By focusing forward, eating sufficient amounts of healthy food, and taking appropriate rests between everything—including early nights—it was a thoroughly productive and recuperative weekend.

The benefit of a weekend spent the right way is not something I have made habit yet, but I’m on my way. Healthy eating, actively resting, intentional time with friends, being still, and getting enough sleep are all extremely important to my wellbeing. I’d even go so far as to say they’re important for everyone’s wellbeing. Each of these things will look different for everyone, but we’ll know when one is out of whack.

I hope you’ll join me on this ride to pragmatic thinking and healthy choices. I still mess up. A lot. But I’m getting better at letting go of negative self talk brought on by making mistakes, and focussing on learning from all my experiences.

Have you ever found yourself in a negative thought spiral? How did you work your way out of it? What is one current default negative thought you can flip to a positive one this week?

Good things take time. Looking after your wellbeing is a good thing. Take your time with it. Peace.

Cover photo by NEOSiAM 2021 from Pexels.