I awaken before dawn most mornings. It is now my favorite time of the day. When I was younger, the only time I saw a sunrise was on my way home from work that night. This changed dramatically when my youngest was born. She taught me that to keep my sanity, I need to make time daily to check myself. This is checking my mental, emotional, and physical state. The hardest lesson I had to learn was separating my mental and emotional state. They are two very different things. My mental and emotional state impacts me physically. Paying attention to all three of them helps me achieve harmony within myself and my day. It also helps me find peace during stressful times. I try to start my days laying in bed and checking myself. I am older, so the first thing I check is my pain level. I find that if I am in pain, I know that I am not dead, right. Another thing I like to do is check my to-do list. What do I need to get done today? Thirdly. I check my emotions. Once that’s done, It’s time to start my day.
There is an old joke that says I would have taken better care of my body if I knew I was going to live this long. There is some truth to this joke. I have not always taken great care of myself, and I did not always wake up in pain. But today checking, my pain level is the first thing I do to start my day. It helps me recognize what I can and cannot do that day. Being aware of my physical body has always helped me with my day. But checking my physical state is not always about pain. I am always asking myself a series of questions like, do I need to go to the doctor or what meds do I need to take today. My diet also plays a good portion of my physical self. What I eat directly impacts my body. For example, sometimes, I get kidney infections. I drink cranberry juice to get rid of it.
Next is my mental state. My mental state is the practical side, and it is the middle ground between my physical state and my emotional state. I am thankful my mental state wins the most days. My mental state decides what kind of a day it’s going to be. The things that motivate me are the things I want to get done that day. There are someday that my physical state does win, and I cannot do what I want, but I have found that it’s ok to take a day and rest. Or my emotional side wins because my feelings need to be dealt with.
My emotions did rule me for a good portion of my life, and it got me into some trouble. Checking in with my emotional state before I get out of bed helps me know if I have something on my mind. Sometimes I do not want to be around others, and other times my joy is in abundance. My emotional state is sometimes a factor when it comes to a day of rest. Life is always going to throw you curveballs. I have learned to take time and let myself feel my emotions. I allow myself a set amount of time to feel sadness, anger, and other emotions. Then I move on. I pick myself back up and put one foot in front of the other. Knowing my emotional state allows me to better control my life. That being said, I have had to put my emotions into check, especially when it encroaches on the joy I find in my life.
There are going to be days that are diamonds, and some will be stone. Yes, I know that a stone is actually beautiful. But I hope you get the meaning behind it. There are days that I fail horribly. I have laid there in my bed feeling like I have been kicked in the teeth. I have learned that the only person who controls me is me. There is always a choice. There are times that we don’t like the choices we are faced with. But they are the choices that are placed in front of us. So I check myself. What choice am I going to make today?
What do you do to prepare for your day? Do you check yourself? Let me know in the comments and share with friends and family.