Getting Out of a Rut
I have been in a funk lately. If you didn't notice, I didn't post at all last week. I just couldn't do it. I've had a lot of stress at work lately and just felt in a funk. My guess is that you all have felt that way at one point or another.
I really hate being in that state of mind. Feeling sorry for myself, having built-up anger over the current situation and not seeing it getting any better in the foreseeable future. It can be a very slippery slope to go down, and I am never impressed with my actions as a result. My attitude flat-out stunk last week, and something needed to change.
Coincidentally, I've been listening to the book The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. A fascinating book about why we do what we do in life and business. I won't go into too many details about the book, but it made me realize that I needed to change some things up if I wanted to get myself out of the rut that I was in. I am feeling a lot better and positive about the upcoming week due to the following things:
5 Things That Helped Get Me Out of the Rut
- Excercise: Sadly, this has been lacking in my life since the Dam to Dam race. It was so hot this summer and I had a few lingering pains so I gave up on running all together. I hope to get back into it again sometime. I just got a new road bike and have been on a few rides in the past week that have really helped to clear my head and burn off steam.
- Personal day: Luckily the famous Iowa State Fair was going on and last Tuesday, Kelsey and I decided (spur of the moment) to take Friday off, and have a date day while Rooney was at day care. A day to enjoy the outdoors, people watch, be entertained and eat a horrendous amount of fried foods.
- Make the bed: I told Kelsey that we had to make a change in our daily habits. The one thing I wanted us to focus on was making the bed immediately after getting up every morning. I know, earth-shattering stuff here. But, this is what Charles Duhigg would describe in The Power of Habit as a small win. A tiny shift in our habits that will hopefully carry over into other areas of our lives. Plus, making the bed every morning is linked to better productivity throughout the day.
- Morning routine: I also got serious about my morning routine, which has been a little less than intentional since Rooney arrived. Last week I started getting up at 4:50 a.m. to shower, get dressed, and have daily quiet time before I do anything else (building more new/good habits).
- Talk it out: Keeping emotions inside has never been a good option for me. It really helps to have open, honest conversations with Kelsey about how I am feeling and why. Just getting it out there, even if she couldn't provide a solution, made me feel better.
So, I'm on the mend, and it feels good to be back in the writing saddle again.
How about you? How do you get yourself out of a rut?