When my day is ruined...

(If you received this via email, click on the title to see the whole post.)

 

When my day is ruined and I'm in a downward spiral, with low willpower and high distractability, I used to just suffer through it, feeling regret and some criticism for myself.

But, later, as I learned more about how things work, I devised a new "plan" and a few rules I could implement, even as I staggered and crawled along the floor in utter energylessness, as if a dying very thirsty man in the dessert with little hope...  (Note that the body/mind MUST go into "repair and rescue" mode whenever there is a problem to be fixed.  In doing so, it must shut down other systems in order to get the energy or material to do the repairs.  When your body is "wiped out" and you are "energylessness" that is simply the body doing the mechanical process of slowing you down to preserve energy and also to do the repairs - you are "impaired" in some areas while the body is doing the "re-pairs".  To deny or to override this process is not wise, to say the least.  Instead, go with it, "go with the flow", align with reality and do what works best, even if it is not heroic or "of great discipline and strength...)

Of course, the plan had to be easy as it had to match with the reality of being human.  I was in such a state because of the mechanics of life, the physics of the real world.  I did something that didn't work and my body (or my primitive mind) reacted to try to correct the problem.  That's it.  No fault, no criticism, I just didn't do what was right for some reason at a time when I did not yet know how to handle it better.  

No fault...but, the real question then would be "is there anything I can do to make it less bad or better?

And, as I pointed out, it better be simple.  And it better have been worked out when I was in a higher state of sanity (high functioning) and able to use my higher brain to make good decisions.  And I had better "rehearse" it in my mind or in reading it aloud for a few day, so that it is programmed into the simple mind to at least look at an instruction sheet on what to do (or, not as good, to have it installed in memory.  

So, if I have a bad night or don't get near enough sleep, I shall not leave myself a hopeless victim of it.  I make sure I follow the rules I learned about adjusting quickly and early to any "out of balance" situation, as I am well aware of the damage of not keeping myself in the H-Zone (Homeostasis).  I keep in mind, although I am in a low power state, that I must do what I can to get back or at least closer, to homeostasis.  

"Me tired, me nap", my primitive brain "thinks'.   And, normally, I would nap not once, but several times, because I'll still be out of whack in my functionality.  I also make sure my blood sugar is stable and that I don't exacerbate it by diving into a vat of ice cream and wildly whipsawing myself into blood sugar convulsion.  I drink lots of water.  I definitely set a timer to go off to remind me to do some deep breathing.  I stand up more and I move my body to be sure it is not in a sluggish bog state (though I don't do much that takes a lot of effort, perhaps just walking around a little or windmilling my arms or breathing deeply)

Of course, if one is in an emergency situation, one cannot do that.  But even if one is under pressure to get something done, one must not fool oneself about how unproductive one is when wiped out.  It is still best to take a bunch of 5 or 10 minute naps, to at least pull one closer to the functionality range. 

So, it might not turn out to be a great day, but at least I have stopped it from free fall and "made the best of it" (even though not so great).  And I definitely go to bed early, getting my body ready for the next day....

(While this piece suggest "planning", it is also a piece that suggest one sets one's rules up ahead of time, to make life work better when the rules are needed.  See Rules - Main Page.

One also has to have "pre-set, programmed routines", which you've installed so that they are easy to follow and you don't need to rethink them or make any decisions (in a low state of energy, one is not capable of difficult decisions).  Doing such things may seem ridiculous to some people, since we "should" know what to do and since it is obvious and why the heck do we need a routine anyway?  Well, note that the primitive mind sets up routines all the time in order to automatize things and to preserve energy for other things.  Routines are set up anyway, so we might as well make sure the important routines are set up by using our higher brain to set up the best ones!!!!!