The alarm goes off, you cringe.
Fumbling for your phone you swipe on the snooze button.
Just 5 more minutes please.
And despite the fact you can’t go to sleep, because you’ve got first day back at work after hols anxious vibes jumping around inside of you, like that time you were jumping into the pool on hols.
Just wanting to get away from the heat of the day.
Except , unlike the pool, these anxious feelings don’t feel refreshing.
It feels belly flopping, awful.
It feels like the water is slapping your skin, and it hurts.
Your eyes hurt. The chlorine is stinging your eyes.
Flopping out of bed, you try to find your work clothes. You swear you had washed them but now you can’t find them. You spend the next 10 minutes looking for them and then another 5 mins having to iron them.
A quick shower should help.
You rush the process, knowing there isn’t much time before you have to go to work.
You get your cereal ready, and plonk down in front of your phone and scroll through your Facebook feed.
Before you know it you’re now late for work, scurrying around looking for keys and throwing in a muesli bar into your bag for lunch.
You get to work frazzled.
Lacking purpose.
I see you darling. I’ve been you.
This year I wanted it to be different for my first day back teaching.
But for things to be different you have to put a bit of effort in. I hear all the cool kids are calling it mindfulness but whatevs I’m claiming it too.
This year I had the best first day back to work ever.
What did I do differently?
Instead of rushing around and filling my weekend with work or mindless junk like scrolling and wasting time on social media, I actually enforced a Tech Free Sunday.
This means that the day before I have to go to work I actually rested properly.
At first, I’m going to admit, it was flipping hard. Kinda like that one time I had to flip tractor tyres down the street for a crossfit sess. You got to just keep reminding yourself of the end goal. It’s going to be tough but I’m going to get (mentally and most likely physically) fit.
Sometimes it’s about having to just keep flipping the tyre over. You know, put the device out of your reach, or read a book that isn’t on your iPad.
Other times it will see you heading off to an afternoon yoga class to raise some Gaba levels (Gaba is an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter in your central nervous system. It helps to calm nervous energy). Well, that’s what I did. I wanted to raise the level of my calm the farm instead of freaking out that I have sooo many students in my classes this year.
So I’m going to go against the tide of the well-doers out there who profess that we only make things as hard as we want it to be and that we can totally manifest stuff with ease, if we just believe.
I think that is all well and good.
BUT for those of us who have struggled with anxiety it takes focussed effort and consistent small actions to quieten the head noise.
So if you’re feeling sick about going back to work tomorrow, I mean after all, here in Australia we’re on a public holiday, then start looking at ways to make this evening a more nourishing process for you.
// Could you shut down your computer earlier?
// Could you read a book? Like in the reals, paper copy book. (The kind I like to dog ear. I know MONSTER right? Lol)
// Could you saviour a beautiful glass of wine in a nice glass? Or a herbal tea in a cup that is beautifully designed?
// Could you wake up with enough time in the morning and spend 5 mins dry brushing your skin before hopping in the shower? Or perhaps you could give God your first part of the day and just bask in His presence?
// Could you go to yoga, crossfit, or go for a hike? Something that really gets you feeling all loved up.
// Could it be sipping an artisan coffee and savouring a salted caramel?
// Or writing a poem.
// Or going to sleep earlier so you give yourself time to process your anxiety.
Whatever it is, I challenge you to set aside time before you go back to work to do something truly nourishing for you.
Be deliberate in your intention.
Have a go, even if it feels hard.
Speak it out into the universe and ask God for help.
If you’d love help this year timetabling some down time in and need accountability to follow through, email me: thebutterflyhouse@dianabraybrooke.com. I’d love to help you to get that PEACE you’ve been CRAVING. How good would it feel to go to work and not feel that sinking pit in your stomach. I’m here to support you and guide you back to an abundance of energy and ways to help you to ssssh those anxious thoughts.
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