Mindfulness Daily Checkin May 14, 2018
Mondays can be tough if you have been doing what you want all weekend. So how do we go from "anything goes to time" to "let's get back to the routine?"
First thing is non-reaction. Take a breath and try to not react with a negative pronouncement about "how lazy we are" or "we will never get out of bed". Once we start the negative complaining, it is difficult to reverse the direction.
Next is to direct our attention to what we can do. So first thing is how to get out of bed, take a shower, get dressed. All this sounds simple but when we are depressed this can seem overwhelming. Breaking it down to simple achievable steps can help us get started.
Be gentle with ourselves. Do not judge our inability to get going. Have some patience. Maybe hit the snooze button once and just lay there becoming aware of the sounds and sensations in the room. Maybe we just feel the breath going in and out. It all helps us get to a quieter place.
So remember Monday is not about completing everything you want to do. It is about starting the week. Even a small start is a good way to get going after the restful weekend we had.
What helps you get going on Mondays?
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Well for me Monday is just me and my little one so I actually LOVE Mondays. But Im super lucky.
lovely check-in, thank you! @soulsings
I always look forward to a nice cup of tea :) I also enjoy getting up early so I can start my day, I don't like when I wake up late and I've wasted time. But then again I love my lie-ins haha!
hope everyone has a great week <3
@soulsings
Oh just had some expensive bad news so mindfully drinking tea and trying to control my feelings as you say,
@MistyMagic I'm really sorry to hear that, Misty, and hope that everything will be okay. 

@soulsings
Thanks for the post...
Non-reaction... today is non-reaction.... I think I found today's mantra ... today is non-reaction....
What helps me get going on mondays? Great question. So far not much. I need to try to find a way to find a quieter mind, to get up and make it to the coffee pot. Like the post I just read, maybe someone else will share what works for...works for me.😓
P.s. anyone else have a crummy flash back Sunday?😫
@soulsings
On Mondays I have to be at school until late, so the moment I come home I don't do any homework, but I plan. I have a Bullet Journal, so planning is actually kind of fun and I can be creative about it.
The pro is that it doesn't cost me much energy and is actually kind of fun while I'm still being productive and have a plan of attack for the week 
@JayTheBird14 I love planning in that way as well! I like to use different colors to make it more "fun" and "appealing." 
@SaimaK
Yes the colours are fun! I usually also try fun new ways of constructing arrows and bullets, making little drawings like flowers, stars etc.
I like when my to do lists and planners look pretty 
@JayTheBird14 I love doing that as well!
And I totally agree! It helps make everything you have to do feel more fun and easier to accomplish!
@soulsings Hi Soul!
How are you? I hope you are having a wonderful Monday!
This is a really lovely post!
What helps you get going on Mondays?
I am usually following a routine for most of the week, so I am lucky if I have a day where I don't have to follow a routine! As a result, I start my Mondays as I start most days. I look forward to eating my favorite breakfast, which is funfetti chocolate chip pancakes, and creating a to-do list so that I am organized and ready to get going. 
@SaimaK yes routines help us overcome the headwinds we face. Thanks for sharing.
@soulsings Thank you, Soul! 

I had to practice doing something that I like to call opposite response or opposite emotion. I'm still getting over a cold and I'm still struggling with racing thoughts and with dissociation. I do some self talk and I tell myself I can move my muscles I still have a body and I'm going to move it even if I don't feel like it. I also think about the rewards I will get if I do this. I will be healthier. I will be happier. I will feel less shame and guilt. I also am aware that many of us were raised to be put down for being lazy or slow. I realize to that it is up to me how I raised myself I don't have to raise myself the way my family did right now. I can be supportive and sympathetic to myself as I go through this very real struggle.
Carol