a peek inside the fishbowl

08 Feb, 2017

Shaky foundations

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life

Yesterday was a lost day for me.

I should actually write that as Lost Day, because that’s the way I see it in my mind. Capital L. Capital D.

It was a Lost Day. Or, at least, it started out that way.

It’s very hard to do anything when it’s a Lost Day. It’s hard to get out of bed. Get out of the shower. Get dressed. It’s hard to be productive, hard to be chipper, hard to motivate myself to go to the gym. It’s even hard to write in my wonderful new agenda.

The easiest thing to do is stay in my fuzzy bathrobe, pull my hair back into a ponytail, and do little outside of watching Netflix and reading. It’s also very easy to wallow in that murky pool of self-pity. On Lost Days, worries and anxieties I had banished tend to sneak in and regain a foothold.

I eventually forced myself to get dressed. I made yogurt (!). I did some work. I ate too much. I put a few pieces in a big puzzle that has been underway since Christmas. But it was like I was moving in molasses.

I was in the shower today and realized that my morning routine is My Daily Pillar. If my pillar is in place, everything somehow comes together ok. I remembered that, for the past few days, I had temporarily abandoned my morning routine for reasons I won’t go into here. Usually, I wake up, put on my gym clothes, make coffee, bask in the glow of my Litebook for 30 minutes while I write, do 30 on the treadmill, eat my yogurt & granola, have a shower, pop my vitamins, then start my day for realz. But since I hadn’t been doing those things I had no pillar to build upon. As a result, the foundation started to crumble.

As for now, I am going back to my routine and am trying to soak up some sunshine while it lasts. Maybe I’ll make a cup of tea… and start building again.


6 Responses to "Shaky foundations"

1 | Claudette

February 9th, 2017 at 10:27 am

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Yes.

A tiny variation in my morning routine and I feel like the tone of the day has been altered. Mostly I am not happy about that and it takes extra energy to stay focuses.

A major change in my morning routine, especially before I have my first blissful (alone) cup of coffee, and….well, let’s just say it takes even MORE effort to get me back to my regular self.

:)

I hear ya, is what I’m saying.

2 | a peek inside the fishbowl » Blog Archive A bit about breakfast. Also, I made yogurt (!) - a peek inside the fishbowl

February 9th, 2017 at 12:51 pm

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[…] Yesterday, I mentioned that a good breakfast was one of the essential things I need if I’m going to have a good day and function well within it. Here’s what I eat, almost every day: […]

3 | andrea tomkins

February 9th, 2017 at 12:56 pm

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I hate bringing up that ‘habits’ book by Gretchen Rubin all of the time but one of the (many!) things that stuck with me was her views on routines. A routine frees up your brain for other things because you don’t need to make any decisions about what to do, what to eat etc. That’s part of the reason I like my morning routine so much! I just do it and the rest falls into place. And you’re right Claudette, it takes effort to get back to it once it’s thrown off.

4 | joy

February 9th, 2017 at 2:18 pm

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I thought I was the only one who had days like this! Thank you for letting me know I am not alone in this.

5 | andrea tomkins

February 10th, 2017 at 2:14 pm

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We need to remember we are not alone!

6 | a peek inside the fishbowl » Blog Archive Found Day - a peek inside the fishbowl

February 15th, 2017 at 7:37 pm

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[…] Fishbowl readers might recall the Lost Day I had last week. Well, yesterday I decided to reclaim that day and even out the […]

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My name is Andrea and I live in Ottawa with my husband Mark and our dog Sunny who is kind of a big deal on Instagram. During the day I work as a freelance writer. I am a longtime Ottawa blogger and I've occupied this little corner of the WWW since 1999. The Fishbowl is my whiteboard, water cooler, and journal, all rolled into one. I'm passionate about healthy living, arts and culture, travel, great gear, good food, and sharing the best of Ottawa. I also love vegetables, photography, gadgets, and great design.

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