The Walking Dead and Zombies: Make Your Mornings Less Macabre

Each footstep dragged with a heavy, almost dead weight. A raspy, deep sigh, an angry groan. Swaying side to side, the body swerved into the frame of the door with a grunt. Slowly, a cold hand scratched along the wall, seeking something…something…*click* The light switch. Light floods the room. It is another bleak and miserable workday for those of us who hate mornings. The injustice of a shrieking alarm, the hideous fatigue of any hour before 10:00 am. The horror of it all is enough to elicit a truly blood-curdling scream of despair. This post is for the non-morning people, the artsy night owls, and introverts, forcibly existing in this 8-5 society. We are the real-life zombies, the walking dead, and we are dying to make our mornings less macabre.

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Macabre, as defined by Merriam Webster, is as follows:

Definition of macabre

1: having death as a subject: comprising of or including a personalized representation of death (The macabre dance included a procession of skeletons.)

2: dwelling on the gruesome (a macabre presentation of a tragic story)

3: tending to produce horror in a beholder (this macabre procession of starving peasants)

If you are like me, and feel like the walking dead before 10:00am, then you may agree that forced early mornings are, in fact, quite macabre.

But, before we go any further, I wish to address the sunshine morning people. If you are someone who loves mornings, and revels in the vibe of your feet hitting the ground before the sun, I fully support you. I am confused by you, but I support and appreciate you. You (as the sunny early-riser people) may also be confused by this highly negative take on early mornings, and that’s okay. We can all exist together, although perhaps at different times of the day. Now, for the rest of you, allow me to clarify that I don’t consider labeling mornings as “macabre” to be an overdramatization at all, and will happily explain why “macabre” is actually a perfect descriptor of mornings.

Let’s reference definition number 1 above: macabre is defined as including a personalized representation of death.

Oh, heavens yes. Early mornings make me feel like pure, personalized death, no doubt about it.

If I personally don’t feel like death (which is rare), then the rage that accompanies an alarm before 10:00 am can definitely be counted on to evoke the inspiration of murder that leads to death (even if only the murder of said alarm).

Looking to number 2: macabre dwells on the gruesome. Is there anything more gruesome than having your free will trampled upon by society or a job that demands early starts to the day? I don’t think so. I (in my totally not-dramatic fashion) hereby insist that mornings are macabre, as they are a gruesome intrusion on my right to choose when I wish to wake up. So there.

Finally, Webster’s third definition: tending to produce horror in the beholder. I probably don’t even have to explain this one to my fellow morning-zombies, but early mornings are completely horrifying! The dread of the despised morning begins to creep in the night before you’ve even gone to sleep, as your mind reminds you that you only have so many hours left of freedom. Then, once you’re sleeping, restless nightmares of “oh no, did I miss my alarm? Am I late?” intrude upon your subconscious, making quality rest impossible. Yes, early mornings are macabre and undoubtedly horrifying.

Now that we’ve established how and why mornings are macabre, we need to identify other variables of concern. Just like in shows and movies about zombies, it’s important to learn the details about them (the zombies). For instance, how fast are they? Are they viral? How quickly does a person turn into one after being bitten? Knowledge is power and can be helpful in finding solutions. The problem that I am becoming more aware of, is that we ourselves are on the verge of becoming the walking dead. We spend so much time pretending to be awake, perky, and lively human beings in our daily lives when all we really want to do is curl up in our blanket cave and hibernate. So, what gives? Aside from early mornings, what is it that is making us feel and behave like zombies?

Depression, dietary issues, allergies, anxiety, stress, and inadequate coping skills can all play a role in making us feel like the walking dead amidst our daily lives.

Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I was deeply struggling every day with energy and stamina. Before I started therapy (therapy is for everyone!) I was a weary, trauma-laden, and bitter shell of myself, fighting to fake it through the days. Those days were immensely challenging, and waking up was my absolute least favorite thing to do. Thankfully, I have been on a healthier and more successful path lately, and there’s something to learn here. Maybe for you, mornings aren’t inherently rotten; maybe mornings are rotten because something else is off.

We shouldn’t feel like the walking dead every time we have to get up and start our days. We should be able to open our eyes, count our blessings, and smile, if only for a tiny, sleepy bit. So, the next question to tackle, is:

How can we make our mornings less macabre?

For starters, we need to manage our physiological health. I went throughout the majority of my life with an undiagnosed autoimmune disease that was directly impacting my body’s ability to absorb nutrients. It’s no surprise that during that time, I was suffering! Make sure you’ve considered any physiological factors that could be affecting your health.

Another item to consider is that our bodies need exercise! If your body is not getting an adequate amount of movement each day, it will be that much harder to sleep well, and therefore, that much more miserable to wake up. I have adopted the mantra of Rachel Hollis (who just released her new book, by the way! I highly recommend it). Rachel Hollis advocates for moving your body every day, for at least 30 minutes. This can be stretching, running, yoga, walking, weight training, etc. Personally, I’m an avid cyclist and find great joy in moving to the beat of some awesome music. (This Halloween season, I really love the This is Halloween (Trap Remix) by Trap City as found on Apple Music). It’s the kind of goofy Halloween “pump-up” song that makes you smile like a fool on your bike while confused pedestrians look on. It’s great fun, truly.

Finally, make sure you are caring for your psychological and mental health. Especially in the crazy year that is 2020, mental health, self-care, and coping skills are critically important. I say it all the time, in probably every post on this blog, but therapy is for everyone! That holds true always, but especially now, this year, for you, and for me. Establish a healthy self-care routine, and make it a priority! You are worth it.

Other tips to make your morning less macabre:

Establish a fun and rewarding morning routine! This can be coffee with fancy pumpkin spice creamer, playing a song that lifts your spirits, making time for a morning devotional, or snuggling with your perfect pet for a few minutes to get a dose of endorphins. Whatever brings you a smidge of joy in the mornings, make it happen. Creating joy, in an otherwise macabre morning can really make a difference in the rest of your day. So, what if that’s still not enough?

How can we fight feeling like the walking dead on the really putrid, rotten days?

Some days, just insist on remaining macabre. Some days, despite our best efforts and intentions, are just harder. Today, for instance, was my day off. By all accounts, I should have woken giddy and filled with glee. It’s October, my favorite month! I have pumpkin spice coffee and creamer waiting downstairs, I have a wonderful home that is filled to the brim with Halloween decorations, I snuggled with my dog, and got to sleep as late as I wanted, with no stupid, shrieking alarm. It should have been a great morning, right? Wrong.

There was something about today that kept me in a really rough funk. Maybe it was depression setting in again, maybe a chemical my brain needed more of. Maybe I didn’t sleep well, or maybe it was that I didn’t drink enough water the day before. Whatever it was, it made me feel exactly like the walking dead. So, on ugly days like this, when it feels like our body’s chemistry is against us, what can we do?

Luckily, I happen to be highly stubborn and resentful of my body’s random mood plummets and thereby decided to kick the mysterious “let’s make Rachel a zombie” virus OUT.

For me, the cure to the walking dead virus that betook me was a combination of a few things:

Grounding: I stretched, snuggled into my covers, really felt the tactile and soft blankets around me, breathed deeply, and forced my zombie butt out of bed. Boom, feet are on the ground. Next?

Change of Wardrobe: Sometimes it’s helpful to change up your outfit. Zombies always stay in the same ratty old clothes that they died in, right? Don’t be like a zombie. Change your dang clothes.

Drink and Eat Something: Make yourself that fancy coffee or tea, and get some fuel into your body. For me, I like 2 fried eggs with feta and dill, and a gluten free bagel with cream cheese, paired with a steaming cup of coffee. Boom, body=fueled. Moving on.

Wake Up Your Mind: It’s October, which means my rule is that I exclusively watch creepy, horror-filled, and spooky shows and movies. It’s my thing. So, to get my mind out of the zombie mentality, I watched a gruesome episode of American Horror Story, 1984. Great fun, and it got me out of my own head.

Move Your Body: If all else fails to make a difference, it’s time to rely on the old trick of the brain, endorphins. Exercise literally tricks your brain into thinking it’s happy. Use this science for your benefit, and move your body! It was dreary and rainy outside, so I spent 30 minutes on my indoor bike, followed by 45 minutes of strength training with my free weights. This forced additional hydration broke a lot of sweat (whew!) and pulled me back into the realm of the living.

I am happy to say that my experimental series of fixes finally yielded success. It got me to the happy place from which I am now writing this lovely post for you!

The moral of the story is, when a mysterious force tries to turn you into the walking dead, it is your responsibility to fight and find that dang cure! Decapitate those bad moods, slash that sorrow, and make your monstrous mornings less macabre by finding the tricks and treats that work for you!

Happy Halloween month, everyone! If you enjoyed this Halloween-themed #blogtober post, please SUBSCRIBE and SHARE! Travel Therapy is here for your enjoyment, and I’d love to hear what you think.

Also, if your beautiful eyes are growing weary after reading things like this through a screen, why not check out these blue-light glasses? They’ve totally saved my eyes from exhaustion with the technological demands of the day.