I wanted to write a short little post today because it’s something I’m thinking about. It’s something I’ve lived this morning and I thought it was a good lesson to share with you lovely lot, so here we are.
You don’t need me to tell you again that I’m an introvert, but it is relevant. As an introvert, I recharge by being on my own. I find myself getting overwhelmed when I have been spending a lot of time around people; when there is a lot of noise and I genuinely miss time to myself.
This is especially important to me in the morning, I’m learning. As I mentioned in my last post, I’m trying to get into a better routine which means I have been waking up most days around 7am. If I wake up and go straight into communicating with people, having a lot of noise around me, and generally being active then I cannot cope – I need some time with my cuppa and my thoughts before I can be there for anyone else.
If I talk to someone for too long, or if they speak to me before I’m ready then it can throw my whole day off. Hence my necessary alone time first thing in the morning.
That’s what I’ve been dealing with today.
Even the people you’re closest to can make you feel tired and worn out, when you’re an introvert like me (or maybe I’m just anti-social, who knows) and that can ruin your entire day. I’m one of those anyway, where is one thing goes wrong in my intended routine I feel like the whole day has gone off track. So when I feel worn out or I’ve had some bad news or I just feel annoyed by someone, it can – and has – ruined the rest of the day.
I thought that was going to be the case today.
I was ready to write everything off by 9am, to be totally honest with you. But it’s a few hours later and I’m doing okay! I’m even being productive, despite my initial feelings, which is progress in my book.
If you too feel like your day is about to be ruined, there are some things you can do to prevent that. You can’t control people’s actions and sometimes you can’t control your own reactions to that, but you can limit how long you spend dwelling on it.
To pull yourself out of a funk, try:
1) Get Out Of The Way
If you feel overwhelmed or something is annoying you, the best thing to do is to move away from the trigger if you can.
For me, that required moving away from my desk, leaving my room, and going downstairs for five minutes. It was the quick change of scenery that pulled me out of the spiralling annoyed thoughts going on in my head and gave something else to think about – mainly, what am I doing down here?
Even if you can only move a couple of meters away from your desk, or need to go to the bathroom get away from the scene of the crime for a couple of minutes, do that. Your brain will thank you.
2) Have A Drink
Everyone talks about drinking water – it doesn’t matter what kind of advice you’re looking for, drinking water will be there and the same can be said about this post today.
When I took myself downstairs before to get out of my head, I had a drink. If you’re British, this is a great time to have a cup of tea and the process of making tea is very soothing so I would recommend it. Drink water, if you like it, because it will cool you down and is good for you, but this morning I was cheeky and had some diet pop because I wanted a little treat.
For some reason, it was more the act of pouring a drink and having a sip that soothed me so I don’t think it matters what you choose (although I’d say no to something alcoholic when you’re in your feelings, because that never goes well). Just a few seconds focusing on something else, something so simple, was a good way to get out of my head and get clarity.
3) Listen To Something Nice
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by noise, it seems counterproductive to then go and listen to something else, but it’s one of the ways I cope with things. Distraction can be highly effective and it can be a way to get you back on track when you need to.
After your little break, put on some music or listen to your favourite podcast. Something that soothes you and it not too loud, right now (so for me, no shouting YouTube commentary channels until I feel calmer). I chose ASMR, which you might already know I love.
I put my headphones in and had the soothing video playing as I loaded my work up for the day, and, you know what, it got me right into the place I wanted to be. I could focus better (classical music or lofi tunes can help with this too!) and just put the shit I’d been dealing with aside.
I’ve managed to be productive with my headphones on since then, which is why I’m writing this to you today, so I think it works.
In Closing
I know these tips are silly and basic, but writing them down is a good way to remind myself of the things I need to do to be better and I thought they could benefit someone else out there too. Things, or people, don’t have to ruin your day if you have stuff you need to get done. This is not to say that you shouldn’t feel your feelings or express yourself, but sometimes we are our own worst enemy and that is what I was preventing today.
I hope you have a good and productive day, friends.
Speak soon,
Rachael.
Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash
Rachaelic 