Yesterday, I hurt my back when I was making the bloody bed.
It was one of those injuries when you first think, “Ooh, that didn’t feel quite right…”, then ten minutes later you twist around and a pain hits you so hard and fast that a dozen f*cks fly out of your mouth before you know what’s happened.
I’ve had injuries like that in the past, and I knew that keeping as relaxed as possible was the key, so I necked the appropriate amount of painkillers and set about keeping my back mobile with gentle stretching and exercise.
Luckily, one of the things I was still able to do without any pain was gently spin on my Peleton bike, which came with the double benefit of being able to choose a class with my favourite instructor, Cody Rigsby.
I think Peleton owners chose their instructors based on who they’d most like to go out with on a Saturday night. (Being in a happy relationship does not change this fact!)
I have a couple of Peleton-owning clients who adore Denis Morton.
Don’t get me wrong, Denis is a brilliant instructor, he’s very smooth and easy on the eye, but I would choose Cody every time - even though he’s gay!
As nice as it would be for Denis to hold the car door open for me (I doubt if he cares about feminists who would protest about this, because he just enjoys being a gentleman) and to gaze into his eyes over a candlelit table (because there is no way he would ever eat in a restaurant without candles and soft music), and to breathe in his heady cologne (because he always showers and spritzes before dates), I just can’t help the fact that I would rather get a text from Cody saying “Cocktails at my house now, bitch!” and I drive myself over to see him for a gossipy pre-drinks session where he checks out my outfit and tells me off for wearing kitten heels because they’re a crime against fashion, and then he takes me to a seedy club where we dance to disco music until 3 am, then grab a burger in his favourite late night takeaway, where he tells me about the hopeless guys who hit on him that night, and laughs at me for looking like a hot mess.
That’s what his spin classes feel like - as if you’re his mate and just hanging out together, and that’s exactly what I needed when I felt thoroughly fed-up about hurting my back before a full day of video calls.
All I needed was to select his 20 minute disco-themed class, and he cheered me up like best mates do, and boosted my energy levels.
Now, I appreciate gay disco might not be the right thing for you, but can you identify what kinds of things help elevate your mood when you need a lift?
It might be different on different days.
It might be allowing yourself half an hour to cuddle up under a blanket and read a book, or go out for a walk with your dog, or enjoy a yoga class, or go for a run, or sit on a bench and look out at the sea.
There is almost always something you can do to shift how you feel, so it’s important to notice what lifts you up so you can do it again when you need a boost.