If your moods tend to rise and fall like an unpredictable tide, you know, firsthand, what true exhaustion means. I’ve honestly heard from people who say they hate to look forward to any given event because they don’t know what mood they’ll be in. (I heard from a man who had the same reservations – but it was because he didn’t know what mood his wife would be in!)
Here’s an idea. On my Dream blog, I encourage dreamers to keep a dream journal. This way, they can track what sort of dreams they’re having, what they have in common, etc. If you have moods that are fond of highs and lows, I encourage you to keep a mood journal. Be very specific and give plenty of details.
List what you ate and drink on each day’s entry – leave nothing out. Food allergies and even a few of my own personal friends, caffeine and sweets, can often take moods on roller coaster rides. Be specific. Also, list what things you did each day, the responsibilities you had, and specific people that came into play. Your disposition may have a people allergy. If, over the course of a few weeks, you find that whenever “Dave” was on the scene, you felt anxious – Dave may be a problem figure. If he can’t be avoided entirely, you’ll have to find a better way to cope with him and what he does to irritate you.
List all of your feelings – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Speaking of ugly. Ladies, I know I don’t have to remind you of the havoc hormones cause. But, if you’ll be very specific with your details, you’ll find a pattern developing and you’ll see which days spell REAL trouble for you. You’ll learn to “watch out” for these days and to keep your workload and activities on a lower decimal during the danger zone. Get more rest during these times and pamper yourself.
Male or female, when you keep a mood journal, you’ll soon see a pattern begin to develop. Experiment with (horrors!) less caffeine, over the counter medications, subtle changes in your sleep pattern and diet, etc.
Also, pay close attention to your “best” days. See what sort of things, people, and places bring out the best in you. Certain people can act almost like a tonic, can’t they? One of my own personal tonics just woke up, so I need to end and I need to see if she’d like a few pancakes.
We have to keep our tonics well-fed, right?
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