You didn’t sleep well. You woke up with a headache and groggy. You realize you overslept and are late for work. You dig through your closet and find an outfit that should have gone to the cleaners weeks ago but you never got around to it. You slip into it anyway. You dump everything out of your lingerie drawer looking for a pair of nylons that don’t have a run in them. Dang. You should have stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home but forgot to. Oh well, maybe no one will notice. You race into the kitchen and grab for a cup of coffee. Oh no! You forgot to set up the coffee maker the night before. You’ll have to get a cup at work. You reach for a box of cereal, dump it into a bowl and open the refrigerator to grab the milk. Out of milk! How can that be? That was one of the things besides nylons you meant to grab at Wal-Mart. You put a piece of stale wheat bread (another thing on the grocery list you forgot) and plunk it into the toaster while you pour a glass of orange juice. At least there’s one thing you didn’t do wrong. Something looks funny about the juice. You check the sell by date. Good Lord! How could you possibly have let your orange juice get that old. Now you really are losing it. You’ve been able to hold yourself together for the last half hour but a glass of fresh orange juice in the morning is the main thing that gets you going. You switch mental directions. You can stop at McDonalds on the way to work and get some breakfast, then eat it at your desk. You promise yourself that after work you are definitely stopping at the store to pick up everything you could possibly need. You grab your purse, pull your keys out and race for your car. The engine won’t start. Oh no! What could possibly be wrong? You check the gas gauge and see that it’s on empty. Now you do lose it!
Has this ever been you? It used to be me before I got into recovery. It never is now. Negative energy has a way of following you once it gets started. As one thing after another falls apart you realize getting out on the wrong side of the bed started it all. Back yourself up. It only takes a few common sense rules to make sure you don’t have this happen again. Here’s a few pointers:
- Stay organized.
- Watch HALT – Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. If any of these are present in your life, take care of them immediately and you will begin to feel better.
- Use your head! That’s what it’s there for.
- Stay disciplined about personal responsibilities
- Don’t take on too much.
- All things in moderation – watch your alcohol intake, don’t’ smoke, exercise regularly, eat healthy, get plenty of sleep.
- Keep goal oriented, supportive people in your life.
- Think ahead.
These are just a few rules that can help make your day go smoother. Think of some more and implement them. Good luck!
