RC and Monday Blues
Sunday nights are always interesting for me. That lovely weekend reprieve is coming to an end and it’s back to reality on Monday. There’s the longing for the weekend to last just a bit longer and the niggling anticipation of what the week will bring: work deadlines, exercise demands and dietary corrections following those delicious weekend indulgences.
Sunday also seems to be when RC, my internal Resident Critic, tends to get a wee bit anxious. RC starts pointing out all the things I should of and haven’t done. The irony of it is that nothing has really changed since Friday but RC’s negativity can make things look pretty bleak and daunting for the week to come.
RC likes things to be predictable and change threatens predictability. If things stay just the way they are, then we are in a comfort zone and RC can tell exactly how things are going to pan out. Change it up a bit and RC gets frazzled! Anxious because he’s no longer able to see what’s coming and how things will be. Let’s be honest, RC just doesn’t like change – even just the change from weekend to week.
Here’s the dilemma: RC is here to stay. The only time I’m going to get rid of RC is when my time on this planet comes to an end, and even then I don’t know whether RC will be coming with me!
We all know we have a Resident internal Critic in our heads and so often we are told that we:
- shouldn’t listen to RC,
- ignore RC,
- dismiss RC,
- tell RC to shut up,
- be adamant that you’re in control,
- wage war on RC.
Only problem is that the more I do that, the louder and more insistent RC becomes! It’s like he really NEEDS to be HEARD. So maybe that’s exactly what I should be doing. Maybe if I stop and listen he will feel heard. (That doesn’t mean I have to believe everything that RC says). After all, do you believe everything anyone ever tells you? Probably not. You hear them out and then you do a little research, think about what they’ve said and you decide what you think about the matter. So what if I do the same with RC?
So here is my strategy for managing my internal Resident Critic and Monday Blues:
- Listen to what RC is saying – even write it down, but remember it’s only the opinion of my internal critic.
- Ask myself, “What does the evidence tell me? What are the facts?”
- Take action that is helpful, fits the facts, who I want to be and what I want to achieve.
- Keep it real. Surround myself with tangible things that are beautiful, cheerful and make me feel good! Like a special photo, flowers, music, perfume, or wearing my favourite colour.