Dave's Rules for 2022

2022. January. Great, I’m still alive! It has been a monumental effort even for relatively ‘normal’ people just to remain vaguely sane over the last couple of years, with an overabundance of people telling you what to think, who to listen to, what you need to do for the rest of your days. It feels particularly bad here in Australia for some reason… 2020/21 were disastrous for me in particular, as I have had to deal with the return of the most narcissistic parent ever to walk the Earth. He has since removed himself from my existence when I made it plain that I would no longer tolerate such bullshit, but the stress of the situation lingers on.

As such, I have resolved that I will do my best to just relax this year, take life as it comes. Enjoy what I can of it, and to the best of my abilities ignore everything else. I have a degree to finish this year, and that would not be best served by my going off the deep end. It nearly happened towards the end of 2020, was a constant threat over 2021. I have better things to do than to let life get the better of me.

In order to make certain that I get the rest that I require, certain rules have to be put into place.

Rule no. 1

When I wake up, I get up immediately. However, if I feel the need to return to bed for another 15 minutes (or even another hour or two, let’s be honest!) I will simply do so with no regrets. I have discovered since beginning this that I am far more focussed and refreshed after a mid-morning nap (if required) than I have been simply by trying to ignore it and increase my caffeine intake.

Rule no. 2

I will reduce my caffeine intake. I drink a disturbingly large amount of coffee, probably as a result of not getting enough rest in the first place. I have not yet put this into practice, but as I am writing this on the first Monday of the new year, I feel it is a good day to begin. Yes, my dear friend, I am despising myself as I write this. Certainly not going to do away with the coffee altogether, that would be sheer insanity, but a reduction would be healthy.

Rule no. 3

Meditation. Or at least simply sitting quietly with my eyes closed in a comfortable position and doing my best to just let my mind be still and at peace. The plan for this is probably around mid-afternoon, once the day has gone one for a while and I’ve got a feel for how things are going. Some days I expect to need this more than others, naturally! In over four decades of living I’ve encountered a few different techniques that I can use, and I have experienced them all working for me, it’s just a matter of making some time to actually DO the bloody thing!

Rule no. 4

A set bedtime. My inner child is railing against this one, and I don’t blame him. I’ll try to reason with him so that we get to bed at least before midnight. I heard from a friend of my mother’s when I was young that ‘every hour before midnight is worth two’ when it comes to sleep, always thought that was bullshit. It probably is bullshit, but it is healthier to be up and active during daylight hours, apparently, so I shall strive to make my body comply. Besides which, getting to bed earlier might mean that I have to inflict Rule no. 1 on myself less frequently than I currently do.

Had I been following these rules the last couple of years, would it have made a difference? In all honesty, probably not. However, given the damage done to my mental condition (I have a history of mental health issues, which is why I keep a close eye on things) I feel that it is at least a very good idea to at least try to enact these rules in order to heal from a traumatic couple of years.

With any luck I’ll be able to report that it worked nicely this time next year!