Resilience

I did a good job this morning of avoiding catastrophic thinking.

When I woke up tired and stuffy and achy and weak, I didn't jump to worse-case scenario:
I'm deteriorating.
This could be the beginning of the end.
Maybe I can't work anymore.
What will I do if I can't work anymore?
How will I pay my bills, afford food, clothing, doctor visits, etc?
Where will I live?
Who will take care of me? 

But I didn't let my mind go there.
I simply carried out my morning routine.
Shower
Clothes
Skin care
Hair care
Jewelry
Packed my food
Waited for my ride

And instead of worrying and talking myself into an anxiety spiral, I had this thought in my mind:
What if I decided I couldn't make it, I needed to stay home, and I missed some great opportunity?
Maybe today was going to be a great day, possibly one of the greatest days of my life, but I wouldn't know unless I at least gave it a shot.
Take it one step at a time.
Maybe it was going to be an ordinary day, or maybe it was going to be an extraordinary day.
Go, and find out.

Now don't misunderstand me.
If you're sick, you should stay home.
There's nothing wrong with being exhausted and needing a day to recover.

But if you're talking yourself out of going to work or school because of worry or anxiety, that's when you need to take as small of steps as necessary to be successful.

Two more pieces of advice if you wake up and don't feel well:
1) drink a glass of water - Dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches, weakness, and contribute to anxiety
2) eat something, preferably protein-rich foods like eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, peanut or almond butter, etc.
3) If the fatigue, headaches, and anxiety persist, see your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder.

Has it been an extraordinary day?
Not yet.
But I feel better than I did three hours ago.
That's good enough for me.

librarianintx