St. Patrick’s Day is a lot more than just drinking.
Once upon a time, my husband and I both drank and we were pretty miserable people. While I’m not sure whether one created the other, kind of a chicken or the egg situation, we learned it really wasn’t beneficial to our lives. In fact, we just celebrated 4 years without drinking this past weekend on March 13th.
So while I thought about what to post this week I thought it would be best to stick with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This topic is what inspired me to get into helping you on your personal development journey. In truth, I always wanted to help people. Kind of like a Robin Williams idea, he was miserable and therefore he always tried to make people happy so they didn’t have to feel like he did. I won’t put myself on his level, but the idea is the same.
So on St. Patrick’s Day, for those of you, that may be wondering what to do with yourself now that you no longer go out, or maybe you just don’t want to go out, or any other reason there may be I made this for you. You don’t have to be like everyone else, by the way, you’re awesome the way you are.
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with food!
Make some Irish soda bread, this recipe says that it takes an hour and 5 minutes to make so that’s a great way to kill some time. Plus whenever I bake it takes longer because I try to cut corners and that’s a cardinal sin in baking so I have to do more work suddenly. Then there’s shopping if you don’t have ingredients and cleanup to consider!
Cook a traditional dinner of cabbage, potatoes, and corned beef. Last year I made corned beef that cooks forever. For hours it was on the stove so that’s another good one. Potatoes and cabbage take time as well.
Go to Church.
This might be an unpopular one, I don’t know. It was for me for a long time. Not that I go to church now but it is St. Patrick’s Day, after all, SAINT being part of the word.
I come from a religious family, but both of my parents had shirked their childhood teachings when they raised us. Why, I could tell you a lot about that, but the point is I inherited a lackluster view of church to be succinct.
But in my years in sobriety, I have learned a lot more about the universe, the law of attraction, and raising your vibration to attract more good things to you. And to be honest it’s a lot like a church if you ask me.
Just because I inherited a dislike for the church doesn’t mean I wasn’t obligated to go on occasion. My maternal grandfather is a Deacon and my paternal grandmother still scolds me for not going and she’s 89. But whatever you believe I find the teachings comforting. I use a Bible app, Freedom Guru app, and I read books like how to live a peaceful life.
Do something you enjoy.
As I said, I don’t necessarily love church or things like that but they’re comforting. However, I do love reading. Give me a day to myself with nothing to do and I will read. Read up on St. Patrick’s Day even!
When I was young and miserable I could hardly read, too obsessed with misery. It’s a seemingly never-ending cycle when you’re in it. I was anxious and depressed and mad at the world. But I did still read and it was a lovely escape.
What do you love to do that maybe you’ve forgotten about? I picked up knitting to help my nervous energy, we drink herbal tea nightly now, and workout regularly.
Exercise!
This gets it’s own section because I can’t stress the importance of exercise enough. I always liked exercise except I usually felt too crappy to do it. However I did have a physically active job so that helped somewhat at least with keeping my body active.
Exercise releases those happy chemicals, it increases blood flow and oxygen intake, it helps ease those feelings of stress and anxiety. And when I’m having a bad day I channel it all into the exercise. I will be shouting obscenities at people in my head as I do 200 pushups and I’ll tell you it feels great when you’re done.
We work out at home so you can stay home on St. Patrick’s Day and go to a workout website for inspiration, do your own routine, or follow some of my exercises. Go to a gym if you want to or just get outside. Getting outside is also the best! If you’re from a cold climate and maybe you can’t, you can even lookup nature sounds and see if that helps.
Get outside on St. Patrick’s Day!
There’s something about fresh air and sunshine that does wonders. Go for a drive or a walk or go to a park. Anything to get outside.
Maybe you have a bike you can use that you haven’t touched or roller skates! I literally can’t wait for the day that I can roller skate and ride bikes with my kids. They’re a little too little for now but soon! But on St. Patrick’s Day, I am planning to do a little fun kid activity like play with green pasta or some kind of fun silly thing with them.
Stuck and can’t get out of whatever you’re obligated to do?
If you have work, it’s probably a good thing. Focus on your work and try to do it well. Learn how to be the person you want to be, think of how you can be an inspiration to someone else today. Maybe it’s just not cursing at your boss today, or maybe it is, but think of how to be a valuable member of society.
If possible, listen to music or a guided medication. Doodle a little in your notebook or on the receipt paper. I find that doing something creative helps me when I’m in a funk.
Research St. Patrick’s Day! Learn more about how it originated and what its all about. Then decide if you believe it or not.
Just keep your chin up and keep moving forward. There’s more to life if you’re willing to look for it.
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