Riding Out The Rut - How I Feel Better When I'm Down
I don’t know if anyone else has been sitting in a rut the way I have for the last few weeks. Maybe even a month or so.
Be it the shifting energies of the universe or the stress of the world in 2022, I have been feeling held down by my anxiety and depression. I’ve been going back and forth between loving and uplifting myself and beating myself up.
Going into the summer of 2022, I stopped fighting and started asking instead how I can make it through the downtimes rather than sinking further down by coming after myself.
I don’t know if anyone else has been sitting in a rut the way I have for the last few weeks. Maybe even a month or so.
Be it the shifting energies of the universe or the stress of the world in 2022, I have been feeling held down by my anxiety and depression. I’ve been going back and forth between loving and uplifting myself and beating myself up.
Going into the summer of 2022, I stopped fighting and started asking instead how I can make it through the downtimes rather than sinking further down by coming after myself.
What should have been a momentary indulgence became weeks of repetitive behavior.
Sierra
I know that the most beneficial things for my well-being include the things I put into my body and what I do with my body during the struggle. Honestly, working out and eating well have not been on my list of things to care about lately. And while it seemed easy in the beginning to not care, I’ve started to notice the negative effect it has on my mind and body.
My sleep pattern and night/morning routine have been discarded altogether. And the lack of sleep has brought headaches, slight vertigo, and hung dark bags from my eyes. I can tell that my night and morning routine are incredibly needed and sorely missed.
Speaking of sore… Okay but literally, I’m so sore. Not stretching and working out all of a sudden when I’m typically pretty consistent is actually making my body feel even worse than when I have my most challenging gym days. My flexibility has gone down and my back and hips are so stiff. If you struggle with hormonal pain, insomnia, migraines, stress, or healed trauma I am not asking, I’m TELLING you to start yoga. Get bendy.
My stomach has been bloated. Not like food baby or whatever cycle bloated, but painful bloating because of the snack food and crap I’ve been eating out of ease. As much as I love the spicy chips, the spicy chips just do not love me. I spent time with my family a few weeks ago and got back into the bad habit of eating fast food and snacks with my little sister and brothers. And say what you want about processed foods, but they really are addicting. I had to switch back to my “healthy” chips and to be honest, they do not hit the spot like Doritos, Cheetos, or Little Debbie cakes.
My skin texture and acne breakouts haven’t been this bad in years. I feel like high school was the last time I had such oily and dull and patchy skin.
I used to believe these kinds of things didn’t really affect us as much as they do. Maybe as a kid who can’t completely understand the correlation between action and reaction it went over my head, or maybe I thought I will care when I’m grown and it matters.
News flash to me: I’m grown now and it matters.
The signs all point to the obvious. I need to take care of my body in order for my body to be able to take care of me.
Sierra
I feel like no matter how many times I hit a rut, I always end up surprised at how burnt out and down I am by the time I’m out, and then it seems as if I’m still in the rut I’ve just escaped. I think that the things I’ve been dearly missing are not only the things we can all use to pull ourselves (and friends) out, but also the things that need to be maintained and nurtured through the time we’re flourishing as well.
So thank you for hearing my setbacks and standstills from this past month or two. These do not take away from my gains and successes, and neither do yours. And if you can relate, I hope that this list of things that help me when I'm down may help you.
How I Feel Better When I’m Down
I like to think of this as a step-by-step process or a recipe. Feel free to make any substitutions or changes.
Step One: Cleanse (I like to target myself and my space)
I will typically start by cleaning my apartment. Specifically, I clean the areas I spend most of my time in, and if there is anything that has been popping up in my head that needs to be cleaned or managed I will do that as well. You can never wash your bed sheets too often so grab those and toss them in the machine. The best way to end this process is in your freshly made bed so don’t skip this step.
Once my home is clean and I have the windows open and a candle or incense going I can begin with my body. I prefer to run a bath and slowly handle whatever hygiene or grooming needs to be done, rather than rush through a shower. I’ll play my favorite music if I’m feeling like singing along. Some days I just need serene instrumentals or the same frequency music I use to meditate. Do what makes you feel good and take as much time as you can to relax and breathe.
Step Two: Apply (Products and mindset)
Now I’m clean, in my clean home, relaxed and refreshed. I use this time to apply all the products I need and replace my bedsheets. Leave in conditioner, body cream, face mask, fuzzy socks, gua sha. Grab those products and tools and put them to use.
During this process, I find that I prefer to sit in silence and think about all of my blessings, accomplishments, goals, and affirmations. I admit, that affirmations and talking to myself positively have never been my strong suits in the past. However, I’ve been working to change that over the last year or two. I think of all of the parts of myself I picked at or cried over and think of why I felt that way about myself. I then simply think or say all the things I wish I had heard from someone else. I remind myself how much my body does for me. Self-care is about loving what is so uniquely yours.
Step Three: Recenter (Physically and mentally)
What I do next depends on the time of day when I’m doing this. If it’s getting late, I’ll try to read or listen to a podcast that relates to my current headspace. Sometimes I’ll journal until I fall asleep. If it’s early enough I’ll do some yoga and stretch the tension points out. I may take a nice walk with my pup around the park.
I try to meditate every day. Some days it happens and some days it doesn’t. But ensure you take some quiet time after you’ve relaxed and just express love to yourself. To get where you want to be you must first accept where you are. Life is about learning and growing and we never stop learning or growing until we die.
"You are working on your own timing and everything will fall into place."
"You are who you are meant to be."
"You are safe and loved and respected."
"You are love and so you find love."
"You are life and so you find life."
Step Four: Claim (yourself, your routine, your habits, your goals)
The final step, as I said, is to get cozy in your fresh bedding and snuggle up. The goal is to claim your run of the rut as over and begin to act according to your optimal self. Go to bed at a reasonable time for your schedule. I promise you need more sleep than you’ve been getting.
Try not to scroll on your phone as you’re trying to fall asleep. As you're drifting, think of your dream life. Think of things you are grateful for. Think of your routine and your actions. Are they building the dreams you envision? Are they helping you or hindering you? What can you do that would help you? What would you wish you had done differently looking back in a year or two?
When you wake up, carry this mindset into your new day.
Get up and try to focus on waking up, and how you can be a positive change for yourself. Try to limit phone time and aimless scrolling. Drink water and go outside. Stretch from your neck to your toes. Look up at the sky and smile at your reflection when you catch it.
Live life like art - beautifully!
