Feeling Down (in the dumps)

I remembered something the other day that I had long forgotten, something I used to do to make me feel better whenever I felt down in the dumps, out-of-sorts, a bit fed up. 

You know those days when you get up and spend an hour thinking you should do something, but everything you think of isn’t what you want to do?  You open a book, and put it down again.  You pick up your journal, but the pen hovers above the page and no inspiration comes.  You switch on the TV and flick through a hundred channels – each one as unsatisfying as the last.

Those days you just can’t seem to buck up.

I remembered that on days like those, I’d clean and re-arrange my bedroom.

I would move anything small enough to move out of the room, and I would shift the rest into one side of the room while I cleaned, dusted and vacuumed the other.  Then I would move everything over and do the other half.  Then when the room was clean, I’d move my bed so it was facing a different way, in a different place.  The other furniture would be shifted to somewhere new, or differently aligned, and eventually, the room would be finished and my mood would be elevated.

The new alignment of the room always made me feel better when I went to sleep – excited, in a way – because it was new.  Sometimes I would imagine I was now on a strange ship, sailing into the unknown, or like Robinson Crusoe, in my desert island cave.  And when I woke in the morning I would feel fresher than the day before, more energised. Re-motivated.

Proponents of Feng Shui would say I’d stirred up the energy flow in the room, and I think they’re right.  The stagnation I felt before is gone.  The room feels different, and so do I. Invigorated. New.
My energy seems to flow differently too.

I extended the practice to other rooms in the house – mostly the living room – changing the position of the sofa, the TV, the book cases and so on, and it would work there too. 

So, when I woke the other day feeling listless and unmotivated, I found myself (without even knowing why) cleaning the kitchen sink and draining board.  This progressed to the work surfaces and the oven door.  I emptied the bin, which took me to the garage, where I saw much that could be tidied and rearranged.  And so passed two hours.  I returned to the house feeling much happier, with more energy and a brighter outlook on life.  I think we become so in-tune with our surroundings that we can stagnate in the sameness of an unchanged room, so my advice would be – when you feel listless, stagnant, down-in-the-dumps, discombobulated and out-of-sorts, change something!

Rearrange a room, sort out a closet or wardrobe, clean the bathroom from top to bottom, declutter the garage or shed.  Get the energy flowing again!  

Why is it so hard to change my lifestyle?

15 years ago I gave up smoking overnight – just decided that now was the right time for me, and I went cold turkey.  I knew it was bad for me, and my new girlfriend didn’t like it, so I stubbed out my last cigarette and haven’t looked back since.

But now I want to cut down on alcohol use, yet the little voice in my head still whispers about having a glass of wine, and I cannot walk past the bottle of scotch without a sideways glance!  When I do then have a drink, I find it hard to limit the consumption to a sensible amount – a glass or two becomes three or four, then a shot or two to follow.  I wake next morning feeling rough, vowing to myself “never again” but that is soon forgotten.  I never learn.

I know I need to cut down on eating salty food, and fatty food, and processed food, but the lure of the Chinese takeaway is too great.  Or another packet of crisps!  At the moment I’m eating those pasta-in-a-mug type packets, which are laden with salt, sugar, and other stuff that’s not good for me – but I choose the less than 3% fat ones to fool myself into thinking I’m opting for the healthier choice. 

I love cooking and preparing food – I can quite happily prepare a delicious salad with something like fishcakes to accompany it – but if there’s the slightest hint that I could have some junk food, I’ll gladly put off the healthier food choice in favour of the fast food fix.  I seem to be addicted to fatty, salty foods!

Then there’s the whole exercise thing.  I know I need to stay fit in order to get the most out of life.  I don’t much care for swimming, I find it quite boring.  I like cycling though, but despite thinking “I fancy a bike ride” I never get the bike out! I own a dozen fitness dvd’s and a wii fit, a Reebok step, a skipping rope, dumbells – none of them get used!  Why am I so lazy?  I know deep down that any effort I make today will reap rewards several times over tomorrow, and that once I get into the exercise routine, the addictive quality of the endorphins will keep me going – so why is it so hard to start?

I know these small, simple lifestyle changes are easy to make.  I know the change will be for the best, and that if I gave myself a chance, I would enjoy the changes.  My quality of life will be greatly improved, my health and vitality will be better.  My sleep will improve, my energy will increase, my attention will not so easily be distracted.  I will look and feel better.  I will be happier.

So why can’t I just get started?  Why is my will so weak?  I’ve even tried small steps – “just make one small change today!”  Er…no.  Grab some crisps and watch TV instead.  OK, great idea!  Is it laziness or lack of motivation?  Do I not care that I’m restricting myself to a life of being overweight and lethargic?  It just doesn’t make sense!