when each day feels the same
We are knee deep in winter right now. Depending on where you live the ground might be covered in snow or slush and the skies are often cloudy and grey. The trees are bare. The world is a mix of dull greys and flat whites. Even though Spring officially starts next month it feels very far away right now.
In pandemic-land, one day blends into another. We wake up, we go to work or school, we eat dinner, watch a little TV at night and go to bed. Exercise, video calls and walks around the neighbourhood are sprinkled throughout the day. Rinse and repeat.
Lately when I ask someone how they are doing I often get "meh" followed by a shrug of the shoulders. I am generally an optimistic person but for the past few weeks, I have been feeling the same way. Here we are deep in winter and the days are moving along. In my house, we are okay. Not sure I would use the word thriving right now but okay. Not much changes from one day to the next. At times, it feels like there is little to look forward to. I am just as sick of the never ending cycle of dour news as the next person. And, even when there is positive news, it is but a brief respite before the next round of doom.
Is this the life I want to live? Is this how I want to feel? Hell no.
Here's the thing ... at the end of the day we can choose to feel blah or we can choose to feel hopeful and optimistic. We can choose to make plans for the future. We can choose to keep moving forward in life. We can choose to see the subtle differences in a cloudy sky. We can choose to revel in the beauty of a sunny winter day. There is always a choice. Each day is different. We just have to be willing to look closer.
I am choosing to make tomorrow unique from today. Here are four things that I am doing that might help you too:
Practice gratitude daily
Some days I write pages and pages in my journal and other days I jot down a quick list of what I am grateful for from the previous day. On days when I am feeling low, I will go back to those pages as a gentle reminder of all the goodness I have in my life and what made each day special.
Walk a different route outside every day
Winter makes it a little complicated to get outside. On days when it is well below freezing it can seem extra daunting but it is so worth it. A half hour walk is an instant mood booster. I change up where I walk each day and the variety makes all the difference. Bonus points for days when I walk in the forest.
Make plans for the coming months
Yes. You heard that right. I am planning for what my adventures are going to look like for the rest of the year. I am planning what summer adventures are going to look like and have a trip already planned for October. I will adapt as I need to but refuse to press pause on the anticipation of living life outside the walls of my home.
Feel the down days
Life happens and some days it is just too much to process. But here's the thing. I feel it. I sit with it. And then I pick myself up and move forward. Not all days are positive. But when I allow myself to experience the suck I come out much stronger and better positioned to live the joy in life.
Regardless of what the naysayers and energy suckers are saying, the choice is entirely up to me on how to differentiate tomorrow from today. Right now, in the absence of being able to go places, see family and friends and perform all the other activities I had counted on, I have chosen to live each day with intention. Or, risk that I will wake up in a year and wonder what I did in the previous 365 days.
Life is short. Life can change in the blink of an eye. I am choosing to be my best self each day. Plan for the future. Mix up my daily routine a little. And, find gratitude in places I didn't expect.
So tell me … what are you doing to make tomorrow different than today?
PS - if you would like to know when another story is posted be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!