I have been hitting the proverbial pandemic wall HARD lately. I think February in Pittsburgh is always a rough time of year, but add a pandemic and things just feel exponentially more challenging. It’s like an odd combination of feeling unmotivated, restless, and just generally discontented all at the same time.

So I decided that it’s time for a mental “reset.” It’s still early enough in the year that I feel like I have some of that “new year, new me” motivation. I know that there’s no simple fix for this, but once I get in this mindset it’s a self-fulfilling prophesy and I end up just kind of digging myself deeper and deeper. So in case any of you are feeling the way that I am (and the Internet is telling me that I’m not alone!), I thought that I’d share what changes I’m trying to make.

Get More Fresh Air
This is the easiest and yet the hardest at the same time for me. It is so COLD here right now, and I am always cold by nature. Plus, when it snows, it’s logistically difficult for me to get outside. But being inside all the time contributes a lot to this feeling of being trapped and stagnant – it makes me feel mentally claustrophobic. So I’m (re)committing to making sure I feel fresh air on my face more often, even if I’m sitting inside my house in front of an open door for two minutes!

Up My Headspace Game
I definitely fell off the wagon a bit in my goal to do more Headspace meditations during the day (which I talked about in this post). I’m trying hard to make this a daily habit – I notice that my body feels physically more relaxed and calm after a session. I am definitely no expert – I tend to choose a three or five minute meditation, because anything longer than that and I get fidgety. But I know it’s a practice, and I’m happy with my goal of starting small.

Prioritize Sleep
My friend shared this article about revenge bedtime procrastination with me, and it hit hard (even though I do not have ADD/ADHD). I love sleeping, but I get in this mode where I just want to do one more thing before bed – one more blog post, watch one more episode of TV, read one more chapter. Time flies quickly during this time, whether it’s a weekday or weekend night, and it’s suddenly much later than I want it to be, and my sleep suffers. I don’t want to get overly rigid about my bedtime (because I can veer towards all or nothing way too quickly), but I want to be more cognizant of my evening hours and try to prioritize getting into bed a little bit earlier.