You have to do all the healthy lifestyle stuff when you feel fine
Trying to decide between yoga or a jog or meditating while you’re in the middle of a spiral doesn’t do much good.
Earlier today I was slumped in my reading chair and cycling through the standard list of mental health resets (“I could take a super cold shower and go for a walk, but I should probably eat something first but then I’d have to get groceries and - ”). Then I remembered a clip from a podcast where a listener was asking the hosts for advice. The listener said they were feeling shitty about typical life stuff. They mentioned that meditating worked well for them in the past, but they had quit doing it because they felt fine and didn’t think they needed it anymore.
That’s when I realized what I had done. If you’re standing in the rain and using an umbrella, you don’t think to yourself “well I’m dry so I don’t need this umbrella anymore!”
I’ve been having more smooth days than rough ones lately. Sure I’ve been slacking on writing and basically abandoned meditating, but I’ve also gotten a better grip on my drum practice routine and daily walks. There’s been a back-and-forth that never felt too heavy in any one direction; I haven’t had overwhelming anxiety, but I haven’t felt like my fullest self either. Then I finally crashed, possum style.
It’s funny how you can forget the obvious things that have been helping you out. I have to make meditating a non-negotiable part of my routine again. I can miss a day or two of drums and even writing, but sitting intentionally, peacefully, and without judgement, even for just 2 minutes a day, is apparently really freakin’ crucial to my health.