February 7th: Accepting a morning that doesn't go as planned

A morning where I woke up a little later than my alarm.
Even though I try to get ready in a hurry, for some reason, my hands move slower than usual.
It takes time to choose my clothes, and even though I'm following my usual routine, my body just won't cooperate.
I don't even have the luxury of time to brew coffee, and it's only when I'm standing at the front door that I finally realize.
'Oh, I'm not doing so well today.'

When a morning doesn't go well, sometimes it feels like the entire day is a failure.
Myself for not waking up properly, myself for not being able to move efficiently, myself for not feeling motivated.
Even though these are actually trivial things, a process of deduction begins in my heart,
and I start to convince myself that 'today is a bad day.'

Working as a nurse, I see it as a matter of course that people's conditions are not the same every day.
Vitals that were stable yesterday might be a little unstable today.
There are often no clear causes,
'Let's take it easy and observe,' 'Let's keep things low-key today.'
I have made such judgments many times.

It is not abnormal to have days when your physical condition fluctuates.
In fact, it is the human body that is maintained while fluctuating.
And yet, only on mornings when my own condition drops,
why do I get so impatient, thinking, 'I have to get back to normal quickly'?

If you try to force yourself back to normal operation, even if you can move on the surface, fatigue will remain somewhere.
Even in nursing, if you try to adjust only the numbers,
the overall balance can collapse.
The heart is the same; if you push yourself when your condition is low,
the exhaustion will come later like a backlash.

In psychology, there is a method called 'labeling' for times like this.
Without denying your emotions or state,
'Today is a low-energy mode,' 'I have less energy right now.'
Just put that into words.
Don't evaluate it, and don't try to improve it.
Give it a name and distance yourself a little.

Just by doing that, self-criticism weakens.
Just by changing from 'I am no good' to 'Today is a low-energy day,'
the intensity of blaming yourself decreases a little.
This is self-compassion,
and it is also the most basic form of kindness toward yourself.

In karate, 'uke' (blocking) doesn't always mean hitting back hard.
When the opponent's power is strong, you lower your stance.
Instead of colliding head-on, you receive the flow and absorb it.
Deciding not to attack today is also a respectable choice.

Life has days like that, too.
Mornings that don't go well, days when your energy doesn't rise.
On such days, you don't have to force yourself to get back on track.
Decide that today is a 'blocking' day,
relax your strength, and prioritize not collapsing.

As a form of self-care, I recommend something very small.
Don't aim for perfect preparation from the morning.
Instead of counting what you couldn't do,
pick up just one thing you were able to do.

Take a sip of a warm drink and steady your breathing.
Just by doing that, your parasympathetic nervous system will find it a little easier to work.
When your body calms down, your heart will follow.

Today's moon prescription consists of the following three things.
1. Put into words that 'today is a low-energy day'
2. Take three deep breaths
3. Have only one goal for the morning

Even on a morning that doesn't go well, if you were able to pause, that is enough.
A morning you were able to accept is no longer a failure.
Today, too, you are making choices that don't break yourself.

Honoka Yuki