Your Morning Punch in the Face

Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash

For the first time in I can’t tell you how long, I used my snooze button this morning.

My alarm went off and instead of getting out of bed, I said, “No thank you,” and buried myself under the covers.

There’s a very good reason for my snooze, though. Last night, before I went to bed, our building sent out a group text to all the residents.

“Beginning tomorrow,” the text said, “All residents will be getting punched in the face each morning.”

“Please report to the lobby upon arising for your morning punch,” it concluded.

Creepily, they then sent a “We’re watching 👀“ follow-up message at 3:00 AM. 

It’s a little weird, right? Maybe we should move?

But, anyway–about this thing that didn’t actually happen: I’m trying to set up an analogy.

I’ve gone through so many chapters of my life where I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning. Where I hit snooze until the last possible minute because staying in my comfy, cozy bed sounded way better than getting up and starting my day.

You know what was usually true during those times?

Either 1) I was exhausted from too many days, weeks or months of burning the candle at both ends and my body was desperate for rest (suggestion: initiate burnout protocol).

Or 2) my day was full of BS things that I didn’t actually want to do. Heavy, draining, depleting, “ugh” things. Obligations that I dreaded, for the most part.

Metaphorical punches in the face.

So here’s your Auntie Keely sitting across from you over a cuppa (thanks Sam) giving you a gentle reminder.

If you, like past me, are getting punched in the face by your days, not wanting to get out of bed in the morning could perhaps NOT be a sign of mental illness, but rather a natural, healthy response. A sign of self-preservation. Of your body trying to tell you something that you need to hear.

Why would I ever bound out of bed to go to my lobby and get a literal punch in the face?

I’d avoid it for as long as I could.

Just like I used to avoid starting my days for as long as I could.

Was it depression, like those catchy commercials told me? Or was it a natural and healthy response to an environment that wasn’t right for me?

Rainforest cacti don’t thrive in the desert. Desert cacti don’t thrive in the rainforest.

If you’re not thriving, maybe your environment is the problem, not you.

If you don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, maybe your days are the problem, not your neurotransmitters.

Is that true for everyone? No. Mental illness is real. Untreated trauma is real. There are real and complex challenges that some people have to sort out before they can ever thrive.

But some of us can step into self-healer roles. We can see if cultural conditioning and societal messages are making us sick. We can pause to say, “You know, maybe the way I’m forcing myself to live is actually the problem. Maybe it’s time to make some changes.”

And those metaphorical punches? They can be anything. A job that’s not right. Overwhelming caretaker responsibilities. Feeling trapped in a bad relationship. Facing a mailbox full of overdue bills. Hating the town you live in. Pervasive dread about the state of the world. Punches, one and all.

So, if you happen to be in a particularly punch-in-the-face-y chapter of life, I have a suggestion.

Acknowledge it. Say, “You know, my days feel like one big punch in the face after another right now.”

Then make changes, don’t make changes. You’re the boss of you, after all. That’s your choice.

But the acknowledgment? The truth-telling? The, “Hey, things are hard right now and maybe there’s a reason I’m feeling low?” That’s powerful stuff.

It might even be the first step towards taking back your power. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. 

Learning how to take back your power may be the single best gift the shamanic path has to offer. And that’s saying a lot—the shamanic path has SO many gifts.

Wishing you those gifts. And also that no one punches you in the face today,

Want to be notified when I publish new stories or have exciting updates to share?

Sign up here.