All the last posts have focused on symptoms, anxiety and negative feelings. I thought today I should write about the normal days, the positive days, which also exist and are significant in number. I feel one tends to take happiness and positivity for granted so the spotlight automatically falls on anxiety and negativity. 

Telling the difference

How do you distinguish a good day from a bad day or a fine day from an okay day? It’s not black and white. There is a range in the quality of days as there is a range in the quality of nights (sleep quality). I figured out my range by making note of the great days and the terrible days and everything in between. I devised a mental list of things that I am able to do on a ‘perfect day’. The quality of my day depends on how many things I can tick off that list. Essentially this list is not just of things but rather of indicators of my mental health. 

I divide my day into morning, afternoon and evening and have a list of things to do/achieve within those periods of time. When I wake up, I immediately know whether it’s going to be a good day or not but it is further certified by the number of things I can scratch off the list. I have listed below some recurring activities that make this list. Needless to say, none of this is possible without a good night’s sleep. I am able to do everything on this list, when I feel amazing. So let’s call it…

The Goddess List

Morning – From the time I wake up till I have lunch

• Waking up fresh and early (early is subjective so you need to decide for yourself)
• Getting out of bed within 15 min of waking up
• Having chai and reading (ritual for me that cannot be skipped even on bad days)
• Getting ready within half an hour 
• Work (blog, projects etc)
• Yoga
• Cooking 

Afternoon – Post lunch to about 5pm

• Household chores
• Work (blog, projects etc)

Evening – 5pm to bedtime

• Dance
• Exercise (walking, running, swimming etc)
• Cooking
• Meeting friends
• Cleaning kitchen 

When I am well slept and doing well emotionally, I am able to do all these things and more. I am energized and productive, physically and mentally. What I am able to do from the list reflects my state of mind. For instance, cooking is the first to go and yoga and exercise are the last to go. When I feel good, like I am the past couple of days, I can go through the whole list without a problem and do more. As the mood slips, things drop off the list one by one, so if I’m on day five of a depressive cycle, I am checking just about a couple of things from the list.

Circumstances 

Of course, circumstances influence this list like unexpected work, emergencies, even social events and so on. This list signifies major determinants of how I am feeling and where I may be in my mood cycle. For example, I have included cleaning the kitchen because that’s my pet peeve. I like to wake up to a clean kitchen and like to go to bed to a clean one. It’s a mood uplifter for me to walk into a clean kitchen to make my chai. 

Productivity

Being productive is important for me. That could mean anything from doing professional work to doing household chores. When I am productive I feel good about myself and when I feel good, I am productive. 

I think doing this list of things and feeling good can potentially be a virtuous cycle but there are many issues at play as we have seen. In my experience, if I force myself to do some physical activity even on the really bad days, it does improve my mood a bit and I am able to check something off the list.

I don’t apply this list to the weekends since they are more relaxed and usually involve different plans. If I have been productive through the week, I feel like I deserve to let go on the weekend. Though this is me and I don’t know if this is a healthy attitude! Over the years, I have learnt to cherish the days I feel good and I try to pack in as much as I can during those days. What’s your God/Goddess list? Do share it if you feel comfortable.

I am not a mental health professional. All blog posts are based on my subjective experiences and opinions.