Inertia – noun – the state of being inert; inactivity; in physics – the property of matter by virtue of which any physical body persists in its state of rest or of uniform motion until acted upon by some external force.  Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion. It comes from the Latin word, iners, meaning idle, sluggish. So there you have it: a perfect description from Funk and Wagnall and Isaac Newton that aptly describes the frequent dips in energy that characterize the 50s – not the decade, but the age. (I was attempting to write about this lethargy last month but felt too sluggish). I am on a much better roll now but for several weeks this winter, it seemed I had only a brief window of energy each morning and if I didn’t act on it within a couple of hours, it was going to be a downhill day.

Downhill Day – A period of time in which the mundane tasks at hand are too mundane to even bother with, yet a time which is devoid of any inspiration to do something more lofty/creative/worthwhile. The sufferer of a downhill day is neither interested nor interesting. In contrast to that of other conditions, this day is blessedly not chronic, rarely exceeding a week or two, although there may be recurrent short-lived episodes spanning several months, especially for those in the mid-life years or for young adults between educational degrees or meaningful projects.

There are several circumstances that contributed to my malaise. The involvement associated with being a parent had gradually declined over the years – no more basketball committees or games, no musical theatre performances to attend, no after-grad parties to plan. As well, my elderly parents had both been settled this past year in assisted living residences and required no more trips to downsize and relocate. And my work as a therapist wanes predictably once BC sunshine emerges after the grey winter months. It made a lot of sense when I took a good look at the factors. It all makes sense in hindsight.

The onset of inert times is difficult to catch in advance however, since it is a gradual lulling and dulling of the senses (much like the frog in hot water — too smart too late). If we don’t quickly catch the downward spin, what can we count on to interrupt the cycle? Thankfully Newton had something to say about this too. His First Law of Motion asserts that an object will continue moving at its current velocity until some force causes its speed or direction to change. This is very good news. Something can change.

As it turned out, the ‘force’ for me was nothing external. My speed (zero) and direction (going nowhere) were switched up by my own unhappiness. Unhappiness is a good clue that something needs to change. One can only moan and sigh so long. It was ridiculously boring. Springsteen captured it well: “I’m just tired and bored with myself”. It wasn’t just me who was getting bored either and I have way too much pride to hear myself being that unstimulating for too long.

SO I started using my two hour window of energy to get something moving. I investigated mid-life options at WorkBC. I started writing again. I talked to well-networked friends. I printed a new business card and started percolating creative options for the fall. I finally followed the advice of Gary Keller, author of the #1 Wall Street Journal best seller. I did The One Thing.

It’s amazing how such a simple concept can alter such a substantial pattern. I may yet have another downhill day but I like to think that it would be a one-off rather than the beginning of the new (and grim) normal. More will be revealed.

Cathy Sakiyama, M.Ed.
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