My “bad days” aren’t random.

They’re rehearsed. They follow a script.

We can create easy wins in our lives when we notice our patterns, particularly our most destructive ones.

So I’m going to share a few of mine with you.

If any of these hit home, great.

If not, I hope it helps you spot your own.

1) The Anxiety Loop

If I don’t sleep well, I reach for caffeine.

Fair enough.

But tired + caffeine doesn’t equal “productive me”.

It equals: wired mind, anxious body, shallow work.

And then I do the classic move: I prop myself up with more caffeine… because I’m tired.

Then I can’t sleep. I wake up tired again. I repeat.

It’s not one bad day.

It’s a domino run.

Pattern: caffeine isn’t the villain, it’s the amplifier. The real fix is protecting sleep like it’s an appointment with your future self. Because it is. Alcohol and eating late are two other main culprits that amplify poor-quality sleep as well.

2) The “Don’t Shop Hungry” Rule

If I go to the supermarket tired or hungry…

I am a different person.

A person who buys the kind of snacks you “keep for guests” then eats them alone in the kitchen like a raccoon who’s lost all self-respect.

I buy cheap dopamine.

And I always pay for it later, in my mood, my energy, and that weird, bloated feeling that makes my trousers behave as though I’ve betrayed them.

Pattern: don’t let yourself get to the tired-and-hungry stage. Feed yourself with love and a healthy meal before it ever gets to that state.

3) Deep Work

I can have the best intentions.

Walk to a coffee shop. Quiet Sunday. Cosy vibes. Book ready.

But if my phone is beside me…the book becomes a prop.

One notification turns into “just a quick check”… and suddenly I’m deep in someone’s holiday photo dump from 2019, learning absolutely nothing except that my attention span is held together with sellotape.

Pattern: if it’s deep work, the phone goes away.

Another room. Another bag. Another universe.

4) Busywork Feels Like Progress (But It’s Often Avoidance)

Ticking off tiny tasks feels good.

Emails. Admin. Little wins.

It’s clean. Controlled. Safe.

But it’s not the same as doing the one thing I’ve been avoiding:

The awkward conversation.

The difficult decision.

The deep work.

And when you don’t face those things, they don’t go away.

They grow teeth.

They follow you into next week… and next month… until what could’ve been a 10-minute fix becomes a 10-day headache.

Pattern: start the day with the hard thing. Uninterrupted until it is done.

Not because you love it, but because you love your future self.

5) Where Your Attention Goes

Right now, more than ever, the world feels like it’s spinning beneath our feet.

And I’ve noticed something simple:

The news feels like you should pay attention to it.

However…

What you focus on is what you feel.

If I begin the day consuming chaos, my body thinks chaos is the plan.

Pattern: steer your attention towards what you can control before touching what you can’t.

The Point

These are my patterns.

I don’t catch them perfectly.

But noticing them is half the battle.

Because if I catch the pattern early — before it takes full flight — my days are instantly better.

Awareness is the first form of freedom.

Have the best week ahead.

Kia kaha & love,
Chris x