Daylight savings is one of my least favorite times of the year. I find it a hard adjustment to make. It's not just because we lose an hour. It's due to the fact that I'm typically fatigued for at least a few days after it happens.
For me, fatigue is a harbinger. With it comes feelings of self-doubt, insecurity and imposter syndrome.
When I'm tired everything feels harder. I don't have the reserves I'm accustomed to and as a result, little things cause a disproportionately large upset with my equilibrium.
One of the benefits of journaling is that I now recognize these circumstances as a pattern. I see the cause and effect as clear as day. I am able to separate what's happening on the outside - setting the clocks an hour forward. From the limiting beliefs that my brain so quickly drudges up when fatigue sets in.
Journaling is like writing a letter to my future self. I capture these lessons learned as a reminder for the next daylight savings.
"It's ok to go easy on myself."
I know that I'll be tired. I know that when I feel worn out, my inner critic will take that as an invitation to scream, loudly. And I know not to let those fears cause me to spin out of control.
Ultimately, I know that this is only temporary.
Eventually, I will adjust. I always do. My energy levels will be restored. And I won't feel like I'm treading quicksand just getting thru the day.
If I didn't write these lessons learned in my journal I could easily feel upended by this phenomenon every year. I could take the disparaging thoughts my inner critic likes to use against me as signs of my impending doom. But because I've brought this pattern into my conscious mind I can roll with it. I can even laugh about it.
Most of all, I have given myself permission to adjust my expectations to best fit my temporary reality. Whereas in years past I would waste time and energy worrying or judging myself, now I'm able to show myself grace and get things done. My to-do list might not be as robust as it usually is, but I'll bounce back faster by not reacting to fatigued fretting.
What's even better, I have leveraged daylight savings as a catalyst for rewriting a limiting pattern! Where I used to react with self-judgment and ridicule, I now show myself compassion. With such a shift, there's much more that's possible.
Are you nagged by feelings of doubt? Do you ever question if you're good enough or smart enough to experience the success you desire? What if you could overcome feelings of imposter syndrome with just 20 minutes of journaling? Join us for the next Journal Jam on 3/23/21.