MAKE AN ICK LIST

Feeling the need of an energy boost?
You’re not alone.  The change to cooler weather and darkening skies is a physiological energy sap (even for Fall lovers like me).

Add to that an election that has us feeling like we’re walking a tightrope over a pit of rattlesnakes, and you can see why energy dips are pretty darn common right now.

Here’s the insidious thing about these low energy periods…they don’t just make you feel lethargic and wonky…

They heighten your stress about what’s not getting done, inflate your sense of urgency around the less-than-urgent and create feelings of overwhelm that can cause you to completely freeze in place. (Which of course adds to the stress about what’s not getting done.)

Voila! A vicious cycle is born.

The good news?

It’s not as bad as it seems. This is just your light deprived, emotionally depleted brain squawking like an over-tired toddler – and the way to fix it is to treat it like one.

This Week:  THE ICK LIST

What do you do when your inner toddler is overdone?

Start by forcing it to have a nap.
If you’re physically exhausted, I recommend a legitimate nap, but if you’re just fed up or funked out, a metaphorical one will do.

Cut yourself some slack and do something that feels fun and easy. 

• Take a long walk on your lunch and hunt for the perfect fall leaf.

• Have a good meal.

• Paint your nails.

• Mediate.

• Stare out the window and feel the sun on your face (or watch the beads of rainwater travel down the glass).

• Make popcorn for dinner and have a mini-movie marathon.

Bottom line:  Your energy isn’t going up until you do something to rejuvenate yourself – mind, body and spirit – so choose wisely.

Then, make an ick list.

An ick list will help keep your energy up on a more regular basis.

1. Create a list of everything around you that makes you feel icky… all the little annoyances that you tolerate every day.  (Look hard, a lot of these little buggers fly under the radar.)

Some examples are:

• The stain on your hallway carpet.

• Backtalk from your teenager.

• A smudged computer-screen.

• Clothes you hate or shoes that hurt.

• An overbooked calendar.

• The guy in the cubicle next to you whose music you can hear through his earbuds.

• A lousy haircut.

• Boring or lonely weekends.

• Dishes in the sink.

• Messy drawers

• A pile of unopened mail.

The things that you tolerate every day are a powerful drain on your energy that often goes unnoticed. 

2. Attack something on the ick list at least once a week.

• Make each attack small, easy and satisfying.  Let yourself enjoy that moment of “ahhhh.”

• For items on your list that are big and overwhelming, a cluttered house for example, pick off small sections, like cleaning out a drawer or two at a time.

• For items that are or feel out of your control, like a job you can’t financially afford to leave right now, you can boost your energy by “bettering” them any way you can.  In the job example, you might create an exit strategy so you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, make a gratitude list of things that your paycheck allows for, re-decorate your work space, etc.)

The important thing with the ick list is that you’re shifting from a mindset of tolerating into one of intentional action.

The net effect of less ick and more ahhh is a happier more energetic you.