Monday Starter : 77

I’m an overthinker. On the whole, I reckon it’s a good thing but it can be unhelpful when I want to start anything new. Or when I need to make a decision about something. Even writing this post is taking me forever to complete! I also get easily overwhelmed when I have a lot of deadlines and tasks even though I think I’m pretty good at managing my time.

Petrel Cove, South Australia

Petrel Cove, Encounter Bay, South Australia

Here are some things that I’ve found helpful for me:

  • Swimming laps in the pool. I used to swim a lot when I was younger. In between Melbourne’s lockdowns, I’ve returned to the pool. It’s been tough as I’m not as fit as I used to be but swimming up and down the pool quietens my mind. I read somewhere claiming that swimming is good for your mental health and can help beat depression. Tick.
  • Cold showers. I started having only cold showers last summer and I did that for about 3 months. It was fantastic. Initially difficult, I felt energised, refreshed and activated afterwards. You’re supposed to shower for at least 5 minutes but I’ve only been able to manage 3 minutes max. I haven’t been able to do it over winter though as it’s been far too cold. I’ll be having cold showers again once the weather starts to get warmer.
  • “The 3 and 1”. I’ve coined this myself. Write down a maximum of three things that are really important that I need to do for the day and if I can complete only one of the things on this list, that’s a win. This exercise is gold. It makes me feel accomplished and more productive.
  • Even though I haven’t done much of it lately due to the weather, doing the gardening is actually soothing and clears my mind.
  • Playing games on the Xbox. When I’ve had a productive and sometimes particularly stressful day I “reward” myself by playing some Overwatch or Destiny 2 on my new Xbox Series S console. I have a tactic to make sure I don’t end up sitting on my bottom for hours. I don’t sit down when I play. Ever.

What I’m watching: I’m watching a few shows on Apple TV+ right now.

Tehran, See and Truth Be Told.

A quote I’m pondering on: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

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