Do you ever just feel totally off. It can last a day, a week, a month… maybe decades! That’s one interesting thing about getting older, is that you can see that life kinda sucks sometimes for a long time. But sometimes it’s good a long time!
I have a way to get myself back to normal almost every time, and yet I often forget and wonder why I feel so shitty.
I listen to music. I’m telling you… it works like morphene for me. Every. Time.
For some people it’s a simple shower… some people read, some drink or smoke, but nothing helps my state of being more than music.
I have been becoming more and more concious around how well getting out in nature can improve my mood. I am preferential to walking in the woods. Even just getting out in a woods-y park can really help. I am pretty lucky in that I am in the NW USA and we have plenty of great outdoor areas, but my city in general has some great nature areas. They feel really great when you don’t want to travel for a hike.
Another thing that helps is just getting out and exerting myself. Its hard to get caught up in negative feelings when you are physically tired. I wouldn’t say that I am lazy, but I am definitely a little more sedentary than I would like to be. I have been considering joining some sort of class like tennis, or it seems like jiu-juitsu is getting really popular these days. Something to get me out of the house on a weekly basis and is maybe just one thing that offers some me time away from the family.
Going on a walk always helps for me. Ever since covid lockdowns started I’ve been regularly going on 15-20 minute walks a few times a week. I also go camping a lot but I usually don’t treat it like a “reset”, more like a time to reflect on my life and contemplate my goals, to figure out if there’s anything I want to change or something new I want to work towards.
For either one, I try to use my phone as little as possible. No music, no checking the news, just being as disconnected as I can. Once the boredom sets in is when I can really focus on my thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation. The endless cycle of reconnecting with breath, observing when my mind wanders, and then beginning again. For 10-15 minutes.
Journaling. With a goal of writing at least one line per day, even if its just “today I did X”. It is just a way to put a thought or emotion on paper.
Running/walking. It’s too damn hot to run this summer, but a 40 minute walk every day is nice to get out of the home office and do something else. Get the heart rate up a bit.
This. For me, the “reset” is to go out with the camera and get lost in photography, somewhere solitary. Even if it’s somewhere I’ve been before, I can always find something new as a subject.
Yup. Refocusing on what’s really important to you makes most emotional turbulences insignificant in comparison.
The second part though, chatting with them afterward, kicks in after they’re actually gone, like my father did in 2022. As one gets older, things get tougher and these little things help you cope like mental crutches.
For sure. I’ve been going on a 3.5 mile walk every morning for about a month now. Gets my mind set for the day. I definitely start off with a panic brain thinking about everything I need to do and worry about. Always end up super sweaty and at peace with most things. 10/10 would recommend.
Reminds me of an age-long truth that many, including myself have realized. Breakthroughs in complex problem solving almost ALWAYS happen when not in the moment. For me, it was almost always in the morning shower when I would figure out how to solve a coding problem. For some people it happens in bed at night. But it’s almost never when you keep at it and force a solution.
On a similar note, an approximate quote by sleep expert Matthew Walker: “People say practice makes perfect. No, practice plus a good night’s rest makes perfect.”
Something about realizing that my will is not in total control of my performance — or my thoughts, emotions, etc. for that matter — is a game changer for me. My body is a gift, let the gift do what it wants to do for you…
Sleep and shower, yup. Another common yet often overlooked source of reset is Panic. Panic forces you to reset. It’s different from keeping thing simple going forward. It’s more swinging machete while moonwalking.
