How to tell if it is okay to "sleep in" on a rainy day?
You don't need permission from anyone but yourself
I woke up this morning to a rainy day. A slow drizzle, grey skies, and soaked soil.
Some might describe it as depressing.
Actually, I look at rainy days like an unexpected gift. A surprise tax refund. I know, like that ever happens.
Now what you do with that gift is the big question.
There is one choice to make that will influence every other decision you make that day.
Should you brave the elements and get out of bed or linger in its warm cuddly embrace?
Think about it with me for a minute. Should you stay or should you go?
Okay. Let’s start with the choice that the grown-up in you would recommend. Get out of bed.
Come on, champ. You can do this.
Now that your feet are solidly planted on the ground let’s get started. Marie Kondo your closet, organize the plastic container drawer, do the laundry, match your sox, neaten up your computer wires and plugs, and reconfigure your bookshelf by colors, genres, or alphabetical order.
Oh, and what about some digital hygiene? Delete the apps you only used once. Unsubscribe from those annoying political fundraising email lists that you never subscribed to in the first place. Clean off your digital desktop. Press Install on those software updates you have been ignoring. I know they are there. You aren’t fooling anyone.
Hooray. The day isn’t over yet. Here is a great one. My sister taught me the Red Dot method of decluttering your home. You buy some red dot stickers (or call me, and I will send you some because I have a lot) and put them on things you no longer need. Then you make a plan to give them away or bring them to the dump. Can you Red Dot people? Absolutely. But that is for another blog.
Okay, getting out of bed was not very fun. Let’s now choose the stay-in-bed option.
Here is my list, but feel free to insert your favorite guilty pleasures, TV shows, movies, books, etc., as you follow along:
Roll over and go back to sleep.
Binge-watch every season of the Great British Baking Show. Have you noticed that the cute kid in the beginning never ages?
Watch all three Back to the Future movies. Still get a chuckle out of that Calvin Klein reference.
Learn how to TikTok.
Discover the origins of the butter board.
Learn what the big deal was with the corn kid.
Reread Alice in Wonderland. I’m still trying to figure out the point of the Walrus. Actually, still trying to figure out the point of the whole book.
Roll over and go back to sleep.
Order a bucket of fried chicken from GrubHub.
Play Candy Crush (I never got around to it when it was cool).
Call some long-lost friends or family members.
Roll over and go back to sleep.
The choices are endless. I get a warm feeling inside just thinking about it.
So, truth time.
Have you ever stayed in bed in your adult life for a whole day if you were not hungover, sick, had a wisdom tooth pulled, or recovering from your latest COVID booster?
I didn’t think so.
Me either.
Why? You have too much to do. Life is so busy. You need to catch up on lost time from the pandemic. You might miss something. You couldn’t enjoy it because you would feel too guilty.
Well, my friends, it is time to slow down and give yourself a break.
I’ve been reading a lot about how the past few years have left us all with chronic anxiety and depression. It has become so prevalent, that a recent healthcare panel appointed by the US Department of Health and Human Services “recommended for the first time that doctors screen all adult patients under 65 for anxiety.” They aren’t sure if the screening works for people over 65, but they are currently researching that right now.
I’m usually a glass-is-half-full person. Smiley and abundantly grateful for all of the joy in my life. I’ll admit to you, that I have had several bouts of anxiety and depression thought-out my life, and the past few years are no different.
The experts have suggestions for ways to improve your mental health, including this helpful list from the NY Times. My favorite tip is #10, give yourself a break.
So, the next time you wake up, and it is a grey rainy day, give yourself permission to roll over and shut off the snooze button. Pleasant dreams.
My version of sleeping in on a rainy day is to curl up on the recliner with a cup of hot tea, a soft cozy blanket and a good book 📖 ☕️ ☔️
Totally agree ... rainy days invite sleeping in and give us the perfect excuse to take a break. Life is too short and we're rushing through it.