EVER HAVE AN OFF-DAY?
[No, you're not imagining it--this post appeared in February of 2023. Well, here we are 6+ months later, and guess what? I'm going to have an Off Day! Planned down to the last minute. Meant to enhance my understanding and practice of making art. Really! So this week's reposting is my gift to you of ways to deal with "off days," which, as I'm sure you know, everybody has, at least once in a while.
Next week, September 7th, you can think of Thursday's Child frowning at her easel, paintbrush dripping the wrong color on the table/floor/shoes, and loving every minute of it! We'll meet up again on the 14th. Till then, try to avoid the "off days" if you can. And if you can't? Well, help somebody else through that off time. See you soon!]
Yeah, one of "those" days.
I wish I had some tried-and-true, absolutely surefire, and you-won't-believe-it advice for how to handle the Off Days. They're what the songwriter meant when he penned, "Into each life some rain must fall." Boy, was he right.
Off-Days can occur any time. Maybe you've noticed, though--they seem to spring upon us at a time when we positively don't need/want/desire such a thing to happen. They seem to have a mind and a menace of their own.
Here's a little of my own experience:
- Off-days seemed drawn to the times I needed all my wits about me--for taking care of young children, going to college classes, teaching a room full of freshman students who, given their druthers, would've been swilling coffee in the Commons.
- I eventually outgrew that phase of my life (all phases eventually go away, I've found).
- Instead, I had a dog. Medium size, full of personality, IQ 'way up in the stratosphere (I swear she understood my brand of English). I loved that girl; she made my life more varied, more interesting. But as always happens, she aged, and in her later years returned to early puppy ways--mixed up days and nights, wanted to go out at one o'clock (AM), had no sense of seasons so the 1:00 AM voyage was pertinent any day/month/season of the year.
- Her confused nights meant I also had confused nights. Sleep came in bits and pieces. And if her nights happened one after another, my next-day experiences were of the Off variety. Also one after another.
- I wouldn't give up those years with Joy the Dog; I still miss her. But I'm realistic enough to know getting another dog is probably not going to work out. I still remember the Off-Days.
- For folks who find prayer helpful, that's a time to trot out all your everyday "stuff" and give it to your Supreme Being for safekeeping when you go to bed.
- If you have a favorite prayer or psalm, recite it when you go to bed. Changes your mind's landscape.
- Some folks might explore therapy with a professional therapist.
- Others might find a meaningful activity--music, art, physical exercise, crafts, working with charities, helping at a food bank--something attractive to them that will take them away from the other "stuff" that seems to bring only concern or worry. (It might also nudge the Off stuff into a lower place of importance. Been known to happen.)
- Some folks swear by yoga--meditation--tai chi--running--biking--and so on. Find your place in the physical world if that appeals to you.
- And if all else fails--Embrace the Beast. Meet your nemesis head-on--your worry, your concern, your fear. Embracing the problem isn't easy, I'll not kid you about that. But you can't live a life forever running away from the problem, or ignoring it, pretending it doesn't exist.
- Well, I guess you actually can do those things. But the results aren't worth the life you'll be living.
- And, something to consider--it uses less energy to embrace than to fight. Hmm.
- Sorry I can't give you some great resources to read or podcasts to listen to, to convince you how to deal with your Off-Days. But you can probably find something to help. Google thinks it knows everything. But people also know a lot. Talk to folks. Yes, you'll be vulnerable, putting yourself out there on a shaky, shivery, limb. However, is that any worse than living with worry/concern/fear that makes your days--and nights--a misery?
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