Whenever I feel different than I’m used to, I ask myself “What did I do differently?”.
Typically, I wake up feeling well rested and ready to get moving. When that isn’t the case, I ask myself why.
My usual mood each day is upbeat, positive, and I feel motivated to work on something. If instead I feel lazy, anxious, or negative, I try to determine what caused it.
Or, if I feel even better than usual, I think about what led to these emotions.
The key to taking steps towards the best version of yourself is to know your baselines – mental, physical, and emotional. Once you know these baselines, you turn your scientist brain on and you experiment.
Any time you feel different in any way other than what you’re used to, look at your recent choices and see what could’ve caused the change. Did you eat differently? Did you drink more caffeine than usual? Were you on your phone too much? When did you go to bed?
There are a lot of factors that play a role in our thoughts and emotions. Each of us will experience unique reactions to simple changes in our routine – you gotta figure out your own triggers.
Some of mine are:
Alcohol – it makes me feel sick the next day, I feel unmotivated, and I’m usually less positive.
Sleep – I thrive on 7.5 hours. Any less makes me feel lethargic, lazy, and irritable.
Creativity – If I fail to be creative (writing blogs, painting, or working on the podcast) for any extended period of time, I feel worn out, aloof, and unproductive.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if you could determine the choices you make that lead to you feeling incredible? What if you could fill your life with food that boosts your energy, hobbies that clear your mind, and people that inspire you to be yourself?
The good news is you can do this! You can determine your baseline, choose a variable to test, and mentally record the benefits or detriments you experience. Once you find your desired result, implement it into your routine and move to the next thing.
Don’t blindly live your life allowing emotions to come whenever they please, negative thoughts to arise unhindered, or let your mind and body keep telling you to be lazy. You have the ability to feel and act how you want to. You just have to be willing to experiment.
May 9, 2022
