Insanely Easy Ways to Get Out of a Rut


I was supposed to go to gym today. But today is a holiday in the Philippines, and there was a notice on the Facebook page of my gym that it would open at eight in the morning instead of six. My personal trainer notified me as well last night.

So…

I’ve been ruminating about it since last night, I mean, whether I should still go or let another day pass since it’s a “holiday” and it’s my day off. I didn’t work out last week. So, a part of me is a bit guilty to let another day slide. But the other half of me is just SO damn exhausted and is actually excited about sleeping in. I still set my phone’s alarm though…at around 6 AM. I normally wake up between 3 to 3:30 in the morning if I have work, so, waking up at 6 AM is what I would consider a BLISS!

I think I was already awake at six, but I didn’t get up from bed until around eight. And around that time, I figured, working out was off the table. I walked sluggishly to the kitchen to make breakfast, then I realized I left some rice in the rice cooker the night before. I forgot to put it in the fridge. I could have had fried rice for today but as you may have guessed it, it was already spoiled. Manila’s heat is terrible even if it’s already December. There’s no way that rice would have survived.

Why did I forget to put it in the fridge?!

I had to toss it out since it’s starting to smell like sh*t.

Back to my lovely breakfast. I made mushroom omelet, and I realized I got no carbs to go with it since I’m out of bread (I have to order from an online mart right now, but I’m typing this blog instead!) and I’m not in the mood to wait for the rice to be cooked. So, I ate it on its own, followed by a handful of grapes and hot water. I was watching anime the whole time I was having breakfast.

And though most people would feel energized and alive, awake and enthusiastic right after breakfast, I, on the other hand, felt like going back to bed. And so, I did!

Right before I shut my eyes, I was already feeling crappy. And I guess it’s not just today. Perhaps I’ve been feeling this way from time to time, for a really long time now. I was feeling crappy because I KNOW that I’m supposed to do something productive today. I KNOW that I should do the dishes right away, clean my room and organize my boxes and shelves because I’ve been putting it off for like weeks now. But every time my day off comes around, I always let myself off the hook by simply saying “It’s been a rough week, I just want to rest for today”. And just like that, I’ll get sucked into a marvelous abyss of self-loathing and massive procrastination. In my mind, I didn’t really wanna go back to bed, but my body found its way towards the comfortable spot in my bed. It was only 10 AM.

Alright, I give in.

I listened to a meditation music right before I dozed off. And I’m not really sure if it worked, but when I woke up after more than an hour, I just jumped out of the bed, put my hair up in a bun and started doing the things I should have done right after I had my breakfast.

Guess what? My to-do list for today didn’t even take three hours to finish. Two and half, at most. But I was so stubborn and I procrastinated the entire week, when I could have spent 20-30 minutes doing them each day instead. I didn’t have to dread about them during my day off.

I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. And this might not be the last time I would feel this way. There are just days when we’re really not in the mood to go BEAST MODE towards our goals, but it shouldn’t let you drop EVERYTHING altogether. You don’t have to write off the entire week or cancel all your plans for the entire day just because you messed up at the beginning of your day. This is one thing I’ve learned about the book Atomic Habits by James Clear – you just need to cast enough votes for the person you want to be. Little by little, in your own ways, try to be the person that you want to be. Something along those lines. Like, things don’t have to be perfect all the time. You don’t have to be perfect all the time. I admit that I was at a really low point when I felt SO sleepy right after having breakfast, but the moment I got the momentum to get back on track, I FRIGGIN’ SEIZED IT! And I’m here to share some insanely easy tips (or tricks, if that sounds much cooler to you) to help you get out of the rut right now. These are ways that I’ve tried and proven for years, but I (still) tend to forget them sometimes, so, to be honest, this is also a self-reminder for my future self.

Here we go!

1. Cold showers

I have been doing this for about 10 years now, I guess. Yeah, pretty much the same time I started living on my own…I mean away from family and relatives and into shared dormitories. My dorms don’t normally have hot showers, and it’s not mandatory in buildings here since the temperature in Manila is usually around 30 degrees Celsius. But it’s still kinda cold around 3 or 4 AM. It still takes a lot of will power to hop into the shower when the sun hasn’t risen yet. Yet, I have been taking cold showers before I go to work for the last 10 years. Even during my days off! (Alright, the exception was when I lived and worked in China for more than a year, because man, your girl can’t win against winter, yo!)

There’s a scientific explanation to this but the gist is that it works like a little ‘electroshock therapy’ to most people. This might be hard to believe and harder to do if you’re really not used to it, but cold showers can release endorphins (Yup, the same hormones that are released during work outs!) that would get you in the ‘mood’ and help you stay alert. Trust me on this. I think you know how good it feels, too, once you have freshened up. But, if you’re used to lukewarm or even hot water, maybe try to spend the last minute or two using cold water just to test it out and see for yourself! I doubt that you would still feel sluggish after a cold splash of water.


2. Hydrate

Water is so underrated. Just because it’s (almost) free, most people take it for granted. This is what I’ve been noticing in myself, too. Sometimes, I feel so exhausted and I would THINK that I’m either hungry or I badly need to take nap…which is not always true. Sometimes, my brain and my body won’t function properly simply because I’m dehydrated. It’s so basic yet most people tend to overlook this minor mistake. Perhaps you can get your iced cold coffee or whatever beverage works for you, but if you can stick with WATER, that would be better! Squeeze some lemon (if you want) to add some citrus-y flavor and that would surely help you stay alert and active. Both the taste and the scent of lemon would lift your mood!


3. Move!

Well, here’s another no-brainer! It is a known fact that moving – even just tiny bits of movement could get you in the mood to do the things that you’ve been putting off for heaven knows how long. I don’t care if it’s just a simple walk from your room to the door/gate to pick up your packages, or perhaps going to the kitchen to refill your water bottle. JUST MOVE! If you just keep hibernating in your bed like an over-sized burrito, you really can’t accomplish anything. I have been doing this for the longest time, so I KNOW how awful it feels to not be able to use your spine or your legs to stay horizontal for at least 2 hours straight. The longer you stay in bed while thinking about the things you’re supposed to do, the suckier it feels deep down to your core. If you’re choosing to stay in bed, might as well do it at nighttime so you can get at least more than 8 hours of sleep. But if it’s broad daylight and all you’re thinking about is how different your life is right now from what you’ve imagined when you were an innocent kid, might as well get the hell up and do some jumping jacks, or squats, or crunches, perhaps lunges or just stretch your arms in front of you, above your head, then to the side and if you feel like it, do your version of Wednesday Addams dance! Voila! Now your blood starts flowing again.

Comments

  1. Excited to read your post this 2023
    www.blognigigi.blogspot.com

    ♥️ i agree with the 2nd and 3rd post

    Exercise and proper hydration

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for reading and for writing a comment, Gigi! :) Happy to know that you could relate with my 'tricks' or life hacks. Have a great 2023!

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