I have experienced bouts of this too.
The dance of maintaining balance seems to have an increasingly complex choreography. Over the years, I’ve become pretty adept at self-renewal. I find inspiration in many places and I’ve developed a list of things that I have come to depend on for shaking loose the clingy fingers of the blahs. I call my list my "bag of tricks to stay buoyant". When I notice the cloud cover settling over me, I go through this list in my mind to figure out where I'm out of balance.
With the help of excerpts from a blog that I wrote from 2005-2009 allibrew), here is my list:
- Get some sleep. A minimum of seven hours a night (preferably eight).
- Move. I need to run, bike, swim, or otherwise get my heart rate up at least three times a week (preferably outside) to keep sane.
- Be social. Bond. Spending time in good conversations and laughing with friends and family is hugely energizing for me.
- Eat healthy food and drink water. When I eat well, I feel well (physically and mentally). Minimizing sugar keeps my immune system strong and my moods and appetite even-keel.
- Sunlight. I need to go outside and breath. To get fresh air and feel sunlight on my skin. To "commune with nature". Sometimes my backyard will do. Other times I must (MUST!) drive to the coast and watch the ocean for a little while. (One of my favorite blog posts from the past: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...")
- Write. Wax poetic or make lists on a napkin- whatever you need. This is an outlet for me. As I put it in a blog post almost six years ago: there are tiny seeds of contemplation dwelling in my soul. Holding onto these thoughts creates a quiet fear of losing them. It is as though they become something valuable and necessary as soon as they arise. Writing them down alleviates my subtle urgency to free them.
- Yoga. My yoga mat is more thorough than a doctor visit for a check up. I can so clearly gauge my heath and happiness from that vantage. When my balance is good in tree pose, it is a sign that life isn't overwhelming me at the moment. When I can breath freely while holding strong in a triangle, my anxiety is low. When my crocodile is smooth and slow, I feel strong and confident off the mat. When forward folds feel really good, I am happy and content. When I can hold and enjoy pigeon and crow, I am on top of the world.
This "bag of tricks" works really well for me but life still throws me curveballs on occasion. When things get overwhelming or I feel like I'm stuck in a rut, I take a timeout.
When I yearn for days punctuated by pink and purple sunsets instead of the exhaustion of another routine completed, I schedule a spa day or maybe even get in the car (or a plane) and head for the beach.
Another excerpt from my past: When I’m on vacation, my brain shifts to a different frequency. It goes on brain vacation. I start to tune out the noise of the world and tune into my head space. I pause to ponder simple things in great detail. Like, do I really want waffles for breakfast or would an omelet taste better? Do I want to swim first or start the day by cracking open the first item on my summer reading list? Are gardenias more fragrant in the afternoon than in the morning? I don’t have to have brilliant ideas. I don’t have to ask thought-provoking questions. I don’t have to hurry.
How do you nurture yourself through the blahs?
