About a week ago I posted about all the things that get my ire up. It wasn’t necessarily a grumpy post but I can see where someone might find it particularly glass-is-half-empty. Since then I’ve been thinking, which is a prickly business but very human of me. There have been several events that have transpired since then that lead me to want to write the antidote post.
If that list includes all the things that ratchet me up into angry bitch mode, then I should also be able to identify a similar list of things that help me self-soothe back to tranquility. Or at least to a point I’m not boiling over.
First though, who doesn’t enjoy a little musical interlude?!… 😜
In the aforementioned post, I mused about the violent femmes and their song, Kiss Off. It was the original inspiration for my grumpy girl list. Here then is a brief and not too deeply contemplated list of songs that help fix my mood when it’s gone all kinds of wrong. Each and every tune on this list is on my infamous “Gearshifter” playlist— Designed to be 💯 percent compatible with my beautiful elliptical machine. In no particular order:
- Hello by Martin Solveig…
- Jump Rope by Blue October (also What if We Could)
- Maps by Maroon 5
- Just Dance by Lady Gaga (also Bad Romance)
- Sheep Go to Heaven by Cake (also Mustache Man, Wasted)
- No Doubling Back Now by Jason MRAZ
- Could I Be You by Matchbox Twenty
- This Aint a Scene by Fall Out Boy (also Thanks fr th Mmrs)
- Dance Off by Maclemore
- Everything Now by Arcade Fire (also Modern Man)
- Love Runs Out by One Republic
- Disaster Button by Snow Patrol (also Take Back the City)
(and the list goes on….)
Each holds a special place in my heart, because they remind me of a person or time in my life that make me feel good. The full story may reveal itself in time but for now, I’m gonna focus on the antidote list. In theory, if I apply this list anytime the weather turns sour, I should be able to course correct a boiling mood…
Take a few unscheduled hours to myself, to do self care… a nice long hot shower or pedicure. Perhaps mix in a wax or hair trim. And when I decide to do this, promise myself not to feel guilty about how I’m spending the time.
Fix something that’s broken that’s been weighing on my mind. I recently worked on our dishwasher. The rails on the top rack are broken and it felt good to accomplish fixing it myself, spending almost no money to do so. A broken furnace is another beast, but if I make the call and have it scheduled, that’s a win!
Cook myself something I really love to eat. Or gift myself a little drive to get a sweet treat — a Dunkin vanilla latte or Runza cheeseburger.
Clean out the refrigerator and throw away everyone’s discarded, forgotten, or expired shit… Unapologetically.
Work on my personal websites and look at all the work I have published. Yeah, spending a little time celebrating all those successes gives me feels. As it should.
Clear my calendar for several days. Or cancel plans that cause anxiety.
Hit the cardio. An intense session with my beloved elliptical machine always helps, especially when accompanied by said infamous “Gearshifter” playlist.
Book a trip to Austin. Or somewhere else. Austin is always best but having a vacation or road trip to look forward to always helps.
Bend the ear of a friend. Or write all about whatever is causing me grief.
That’s a pretty good list.
I’m sure there’s other stuff, but this list is solid.
As with the previous list, the value in writing it down is that I know myself better and recognize what is in my power to change. Obviously some circumstances on that original list are not things I have any control over.
Take for instance the PMS. The surge of hormones I get from time to time is unavoidable. I know that, and I’m pretty tuned in to when that’s happening so I can recognize it and realize I need to put myself in check and take a pause. Same thing with the rejections from publishers or the weather outside.
In all these cases, though, time will naturally bring the necessary change. The key, then, is patience. Emotions are fleeting anyhow so even if I have to wait six months between acceptances, I have to remember that it’s just one thing and my worth as a person isn’t dependent on my publishing success.
Between last week and now, my elliptical machine got fixed, we got a new furnace, and I discovered this morning to find all the contents of our freezer had thawed over night. So shit in the Universe is shifting all the time. We never know when we’ll wake up faced with another stupid thing like a broken refrigerator or parent that needs open heart surgery. We just don’t. That’s the nature of life.
In closing I would say given the range of things that can happen at any given time, that old saying is true… Don’t sweat the small stuff. Just be grateful for all the good that surrounds us. And there’s a lot.
That’s it for my antidote post.
Peace and love, 💕
~Miss SugarCookie
Miss SugarCookie 