Feeling low? The case for doing the minimum.

The post-holiday struggle is real. Image: Dwarrelende sneeuw, Kamisaka Sekka, 1909, Rijksmuseum. Used with permission.

Hi friends! Thanks for reading this week; I really appreciate you being here 🙏. I also really appreciate everyone who picked up a 2020 planner. MANY THANKS! If you're inclined, please email and let me know how it went for you, especially if you have suggestions for improvements. Merci!

Today let's attempt to answer a question that often comes up after the holidays, especially for folks in the Northern hemisphere where the gloom has deepened.

A Body of Knowledge participant mentioned sliding into a slump, having crappy thoughts like Ugh why even bother, and a noticeable lack of "motivation." She was wondering how others handle that kind of dip, as in, what's the best approach? Push through now? Or get back on the horse when there's more energy? 

Wherever we are--can or can't--it's good to admit it to ourselves. Even in January, when we're supposed to extra "motivated." I love when people I'm working with are comfortable and trusting enough to tell me they're in a slump. It's so good not to have to pretend! Pretending just piles the weight on. 

And it's also good to just have a frank look at where we are. For one thing, it reminds us that everything fluctuates. We're not ALWAYS IMPROVING. We're simply not always getting better and better in every way. It's a relief to recognize that.

Sometimes we can do better. But if we want to improve our chances of improving something, it can only help to know where we're starting from.

However, often low energy + crappy thoughts + unmotivated = slump = possible depression--at least for me. That's something to pay attention to, and one of my first responses is to give myself a pass in the motivation department while still taking action. Minimal action.

If it's looking like post-holiday seasonal depression, that's not the time to get baroque with goals and checklists. That when I have to do the basics, only the basics, and--critical!--not one jot less than the basics.

For me, as you know, that's eating meals and only meals and not turning to food at non-mealtimes. It's also getting to the gym to give myself the Minimum Effective Dose (MED) of strength training. I remind myself I'm not there to "kill it", keep up with the kids, or even look good. I'm just there to keep my bones healthy.

When you hear your brain say things like "Ugh! It doesn't even #*%*ing matter!" it might be good to ask, Hey, when does it matter? What's the "this actually matters" threshold, aka the MED? The BASICS. Just do that.

👆That's the answer to the question: Push through now, a bit. Get back on the horse and finish the whole race later.

In a sense, of course, it's true that nothing matters. But that's a fact that might make us feel relieved and strangely cheerful. If you're thinking Ugh why even bother and it makes you gloomy, that seems more like a sign of seasonal mood contraction. In other words, a passing thing. Not a good basis on which to evaluate your whole life. And nothing to switch to a diet of Twinkies™ over.

So to sum up: When motivation is low, no need to fight. Especially at this time of year, when it's predictable. Do the basics to look after yourself, and don't worry about ticking the fancier boxes.

The season will turn, the mood will lift, and we will make more hay when the sun shines.