What Day Is It?

Grown adults ask this question at this time of year. We’re lost. We were walking on a familiar path on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, but after that, things become murky...

Does it matter? Do we care? Isn't it great to be less tethered? Surely wearing pyjamas all day and eating peanuts for breakfast is good? Why not drift awhile?

Well no. For me, this just doesn't work. And I've woken up with a thought about why this annual drifting-about-in-a-onesie session makes me feel miserable.

Take yesterday... I decided to relax. My Christmas guests had gone, my Airbnb guests had not arrived and the house was clean, tidy and ready. The dog had been for hydrotherapy and was sleeping deeply after her workout in a tank of warmed water.

I decided to 'do nothing', to have a 'well-earned break'. I thought it would be an excellent idea to read fiction, to sit around, snuggle in and have a lovely quiet time with a book. And what happened? Nothing. And my mood dropped like a Brussel Sprout thrown off Striding Edge. By 8pm, I felt so sad that I gave up and went to bed to 'get it over with.'

This morning, with the benefit of hindsight I've realised this: I'm a doer. I'm guilty of doing too much and becoming exhausted (definitely something to work on) but doing the doings is probably releasing dopamine in my brain and it makes me feel good. Tick, tick, tick... (things are crossed off the list). Drip, drip, drip... (dopamine soothes my system).

Needless to say, I'm back on it today. I'm feeling better already because I've been ticking my way through my rituals... And I'll get far more out of the day and I'll be far happier. I'll end the day feeling much better about myself, my dopamine tanks will be full and I'll stroke the dog's tummy for hour without guilty laziness smothering my self esteem. Good. Now then, what's next? (Thank you Jed Bartlett).

Bear Hugs, Big Licks and Sniffs,

Julia Savory and Georgia The Wonder Dog