How to have a good day. Every day.
On Sunday I was watching Maratha Stewart bake cookies.
She was in one of her beautiful homes and was being filmed in her kitchen with copper pans hanging from butcher hooks.
Although Maratha is also in lockdown her life is a little bit different than most people’s.
For example in her cookies she put 2 fresh eggs laid by her hens. That very morning her hens had laid 68 eggs.
Later she explained she was going to give these cookies to her neighbours, and she listed a few famous names that lived in homes close to hers.
Martha Stewart’s shows and other cooking and home shows give us inspiration and a few fun things to try. They can also be comforting to watch during this pandemic.
There is a danger to be aware of too.
When you are living with ADHD, these images and messages penetrate into your subconscious and you feel like you aren’t doing enough.
It’s subtle though.
You don’t necessarily watch a show or see images on Instagram and feel less than.
But somehow you end up striving for perfection each day, and then you are hard on yourself when you don’t meet your ideals.
Instead of perfection, think of your days in 3 levels.
A Basic Day
A Better Day
A Brilliant day
Here’s an example…but obviously you can tweak them for you and your life.
A Basic Day
This covers your basics.
- Eat 3 meals (rather than snacking and grazing all day).
- Drink water.
- Take your meds if you have any.
- Walk for 20 minutes.
- Protect yourself from 24/7 news about COVID-19.
- Shower.
A Better Day
Everything from your basic day, plus 2 additions or upgrades. What those are will depend on you, but here are some suggestions.
Additions:
- 1 hour of deep focused work time.
- Have a social connection for 20 minutes.
- Do something that stimulates your mind for 20 minutes (read a book, crossword puzzle, etc.)
- Go to bed ready to sleep by midnight (or a helpful time for you).
Upgrades:
- A home cooked meal made from scratch (rather than a frozen dinner).
- A 20 minute run instead of a walk.
A Brilliant Day
A brilliant day is one when you go to bed feeling ‘Wow, today was a really good day!’
You do the basics and then some.
Perhaps it’s because you did something really fun, or did things that made you proud of yourself.
What those things are very personal, but you will know what they are.
By grading your days, you set yourself up for success.
You win every day.
Plus, you can feel extra happy and proud when you have a brilliant day, rather than shrugging it off and telling yourself ‘well every day should be like this’
Setting yourself up for success so that you avoid the pain of disappointing yourself or facing your own critical comments is a topic we talk a lot about in the group coaching calls in Essentially Brilliant.
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