I am happy to report that I have now gotten over my recent attack of the blahs. The blahs are different than the blues. The blues are sad, weepy, ready to question every life decision you’ve ever made and craving baked goods. The blahs are less dramatic. They’re what happens when the only thing you can get excited about doing is nothing. I find they often follow an insanely busy period – once you’ve finished up all those pressing deadlines, there’s no oomph left. And you’ve forgotten how to motivate yourself without some dramatic timeframe. And suddenly the couch and the remote control start looking really good.

At first I decided to indulge my lethargy and spent a lot of time lying around, watching TV, flipping through magazines, and catching up on phone calls. The problem is, my little indulgence turned into a way of life. I was barely doing yoga and only rarely getting outside for walks (it was cold and gray, which I’m sure had something to do with my apathetic state in the first place). I took me about two weeks before I realized I was miserable. My blahs were starting to morph into the blues. And that’s not the direction we want the needle to move.

So I turned to a tactic I learned from meditation. When you’re meditating and focusing your attention on something other than your thoughts—whether by counting your breaths or repeating a meaningful phrase or just listening to your breath as it flows in and out– you will inevitably start daydreaming or thinking about the itch that’s developing on your inner ankle or any number of mental dramas. It’s a natural and expected part of the meditation process. And what you’re supposed to do when you realize you’ve veered off course isn’t to berate yourself. Or wonder why you can’t pay attention. Or give up. No. Your most powerful tactic is to let go of all the lamenting and the blaming and the analyzing and just go back to following your breath. That’s it. Just. Start. Again. No drama. No regrets.

So that’s what I did. I started getting out for a morning walk. I started prioritizing yoga class again. I stopped zoning out in front of the tube. And it worked like a freaking charm. After a few days I was back in my groove, where life isn’t necessarily glorious every minute of every day, but it’s perfect just as it is.

So here’s my message to you: When you find yourself veered off on some course that’s got you feeling blah-y, or blues-y, or whatever your particular funk may be, just start your self-care routine again. All the work you’ve put in to whatever your particular practice may be is waiting for you—even though you may feel like you’re starting from scratch, the cumulative benefits of your previous self-care will rise up to meet you as soon as you take you first step. If you’ve gotten sucked up in to a summer doldrums, consider this your invitation to get back on track. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be feel more like yourself.