Monday People

One Monday Morning Sky

On Monday mornings I get up earlier than usual, get some coffee, and go for about a 3-mile walk. I have a particular route I take on that day and through the years I've seen many of the same people as I travel on my way: gardeners out trimming bushes and working on landscapes, shopkeepers coming to work, the repairmen at my local pool store getting ready for their Monday house calls.

This past Monday though, the weather was bad and I didn't do the Monday routine til Tuesday morning. I thought for sure I wouldn't be seeing the folks I typically see on Mondays, but it turned out that many of us didn't get to do our Monday activities -- we were all in the same boat. We remarked how odd it was to be doing these things on Tuesday and how we felt a day behind in starting our week.

That day seemed to set the tone of the whole week for me -- things have just been odd and out of focus! I've been turning right when I meant to turn left, going out of doors I was supposed to go in, getting all the way home and realizing I didn't drop off the mail at the post office. It was even the week of this month's Blue Moon! (the second full moon in August.) I had to keep reminding myself what day it was when I looked at my planner so I could keep my appointments straight, and yesterday I completely forgot to write my post for this week.

Scientists tell us though that shaking up our routine is good for our brain -- it actually nourishes it. Engaging in activities that make us think harder promotes brain health. The more we can change behaviors that have become rote to us (like how we arrange our daily activities or where we sit in our living room), the more we stimulate our brains. Alternating the hand we use to complete simple tasks from time to time is another suggestion. (Of course, when I do that I just feel uncoordinated.) 

I'm not too sure when I'll be able to get back on track. Since this Monday is the Labor Day holiday I'll probably be off a day again next week, so I may have more times of brain exercises ahead of me. But in my frustrations and my "do overs" (and being late for appointments), I guess I'll try to see the situation as something good -- for my brain at least.

I'm going to try to remember that every once in awhile we do need to have crazy weeks like this (sigh), that it's a healthy thing to be feeling like my brain is being taxed, and that sometimes, Monday people just have to do things on Tuesdays.

Happy September!

Kay
www.confidentconflict.com