Steady study day
The title sums up what has happened since yesterday. My brain, and mood cooperated with me to advance in my studies. I still have a fair amount to do, but I’m not behind. Seems like I’m getting used to motivating myself positively.
I have to confess though that I adore my sleep cocoon; I’m even drawing plans to create a bed and storage unit that would incorporate this structure. It’s so reassuring, and comforting to be in a warm yet dry, soft, fluffy, dim, and cosy space. As a result, I wake up more rested, and have cut down on my sleep to about 10 hours compared to my previous 12 hours. My recovery is on its way. Self-care may produce slow results, but those results are consistent, and long lasting. With the compound effect, it’s a profitable approach to personal improvement.
I’m from a generation that believed that only through pain, and grit could you achieve results. True, you definitely can achieve great results that way, but it comes at the cost of your health ether physical, mental and/or social. With my physical, mental and social predispositions, those consequences came running at me before I could even achieve anything. Thankfully, I received life-changing advice from excellent therapists.
There’s no point in beating a horse that is already on the ground. Healing the poor thing is the only way that will get it back on its hooves. The improvements are barely noticeable on a daily bases, but when I look at where I was 3 months ago, leaps and bounds have been achieved. I’m grateful that well-established friends told me, and showed me the key to long-lasting success: constant minor progress.
By taking small frequent steps, you can easy rectify course if something doesn’t go well. You just have to keep going even if the finish line is far from sight. And to feed your instant gratification monkey brain, take satisfaction in being a little better than you were yesterday. Also, the most balanced successful people I know also carry an unwavering faith that things will improve no matter the hardships.
In order to believe in something more optimistic, you have to build that base line first. That’s what I’m doing. I’m teaching my brain, and body that it will be safe, that hardship is only momentary, and that good days will come back. Having lived a life time of instability, my undertaking may be massive, but it’s doable. Plus, the more positive feedback loops I create, the faster the changes will take root in my neural pathways.
