Ups and downs

Yesterday was a good day. I felt good. I had just finished a vacation, my longest summer vacation in years, and was energized to get back to work. I got a lot done. I updated my work list-of-things-to-do and got a good number of them done. In the evening I got a lot done. Original dinner plans did not work out, so I went out and got some stuff and threw dinner together. And I got a good number of tasks done, more than I usually do in the evening.

Today I am down. I have not been able to focus and get work done. I got distracted by Facebook and YouTube.

I started to look at WHY. This is not a normal thing for me. In the past I would just keep pushing myself. Keep doing the things that need to be done. But I know that trap. I push myself, and get exhausted, and then I end up feeling worse.

So why?

I am tired today. I did not get enough sleep last night. I drank a caffeinated soda last night. While that may be what helped me get so much done in the evening, I am probably in the down side of the energy boost. I sent out a lot of messages yesterday. Not many responses, and most of them not so good. Reduction of work from some of my clients. No responses from others.

So the underlying reasons: I am tired because I pushed myself too hard yesterday. I am down because I am letting my work get me down.

Solutions: get more sleep. Do a meditation when I get to work to keep myself centered and positive, so negative messages from the outside do not knock me down. Look for opportunity. Listen to myself. Allow myself time to rest and feel and think. So maybe the YouTube videos were what I needed (after all most of them were writing related). Change my present state: take long breaths and listen to my heart and breathing. Slow down.