3 Things That Keep Me Going
Maybe that can help
Life can be hard sometimes. Problems arise, we get stuck in a loop, and it feels impossible to get back on track. We’re just zombies, aimlessly going from one thing to the other. But recently, after many tries, I finally found things that work for me, that help me keep moving forward even when life strikes. Let me share this with you
Sleep Schedule
Having a strict sleep schedule is what helps me the most. I always had this tendency of staying up super late, doing crazy things at 4 am just because I could, then trying to wake up at 7 to go to work and live my day. Which as you imagine didn’t work and the next I was irritable, tired, and had to go to bed at 8.
It sounds obvious, but it took me a long time to realise this, and an even longer time to really put it into practice. Now I get to sleep, not at an exact time, but during the 10 to 11 pm slot. I know that before 10 pm, I have a tendency to wake up too much at night, and after 11 pm I’m usually too tired the next morning. But of course, this is different for everyone.
I realised that waking up every day at the exact same time is a must for me though. And removing the snooze, so I don’t feel like I’m betraying myself. I put my alarm far so that I have to get up. Once I’m up, a big glass of water, and I go out.
Spend My Energy
I used to think I was lazy. For many reasons. I’m shy, introverted, and quiet, I talk slowly and like to chill. My whole life it felt like exercise was something others did but that wasn’t necessary for me.
Yet when depression struck, I was advised to get moving. And I did, and it worked. But I now realise that what is happening is the opposite of what I initially believed.
I actually have a lot of energy in me. Dormant. It’s there but I never tapped into it. I ignored it. And it was sometimes overflowing, manifesting itself by rendering me irritable, unfocused, and so on.
Now, I make it a point to exercise every single day. I run in the morning and then do some callisthenics. It removes all that dormant energy, I feel good about myself. It helps me build confidence. And it also helps me to be tired at 10 pm so I can go to sleep and continue my sleep routine. Win-win.
Talking to myself
This might sound strange. We always have this idea that people talking to themselves are crazy. When we see someone doing it in the street, we sometimes laugh or look weirdly at them. At least that’s what I used to do at some point.
But it’s not. There are a lot of articles out there listing all the benefits. I’ll link a few at the end. It helps stay motivated and helps with memory and problem-solving as well.
And for me, the biggest benefit is, it helps me process my thoughts, get my problems out of the way, and move on.
The way I do it is simple. I go for a walk and put my headphones on with my phone on record. And I just say whatever is on my mind. When I’m feeling down, I noticed that I have a tendency to talk to myself using the “you” pronoun. And I’m helping myself as I would a friend. Things like “you’re doing the best you can, I know it seems bad, but look at your progress. Look how far you’ve gotten already. I’m proud of you, keep this up!”
It can go for a very long time, I once recorded myself for 1.30 hours straight. It seems after years of being quiet, I have a lot to say. And I’m fine saying it to myself. I often end up doing jokes and making myself laugh out loud. It’s very nice. And when I come back home, I have said all I had to, and I feel much more focused and perform a lot better on things.
Conclusion
It’s very personal, I had to go through a lot of trial and error to find this combination that works for me, but what good is it to keep it only to myself? I hope this might help you too. Those 3 simple things:
- Find your sleep schedule
- Burn your energy
- Talk to yourself
If you’re interested, here are a few articles about the benefits of talking to yourself out loud:
